


Castle Intrigue

by revenant_hell



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: AU, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Language, Fluff and Angst, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), mysterious castle intrigue AU, obviously if legend is in this story, palatial intrigue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-18 02:50:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21554068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/revenant_hell/pseuds/revenant_hell
Summary: The Kingdom of Hyrule rules all, a vast empire whose reach extends over the land. When Hateno's previous Ambassador to Hyrule mysteriously vanishes, Wild is summoned to take his place and find out what happened. He will meet a fun cast of characters along the way. Will he survive the back stabbing and court intrigue of Hyrule palace???Or: I love a good "palace intrigue" story and thought it would be super fun to do it as a LU story
Comments: 74
Kudos: 163





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> THE SETTING: The High Court of the Kingdom of Hyrule, a vast empire that controls the known world
> 
> THE CAST:  
> -WILD, our main character. Once a well-respected soldier, he's a social outcast after "the incident," which also wiped out most of his memories. This posting as ambassador is his last chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the people of Hateno.  
> -TIME, the former ambassador. Left Hateno to take up this post and never returned. Now he's disappeared under mysterious circumstances...  
> -WARRIORS, a member of the Hyrule Guard assigned as Wild's bodyguard. Pretentious, prideful and a charmer. His loyalty to the Kingdom is absolute, second only to his love for his younger brother.  
> -WIND, Warrior's younger brother. Enthusiastic and excitable, which can land him in trouble. Wants to be just like his brother when he grows up. Despite his age, he's a skilled fighter.  
> -SKY, the crown prince of Hyrule. Married to the Princess Zelda, the king's daughter. Known for his wisdom and calm reasoning. Widely loved and respected by the people. When he married Zelda, he and his brothers became royalty.  
> -LEGEND, snarky younger brother to the crown prince. Absolutely does not want the responsibilities of the crown and makes sure you know it, and besides, he's not gonna inherit the throne anyway. A seasoned traveler.  
> -HYRULE, third brother of the crown prince. Has accepted his role as adviser to the prince. Humble and a good listener. Also a seasoned traveler.  
> -TWILIGHT, a mysterious stable hand. His eyes say he knows more than he lets on...  
> -FOUR, the castle spymaster. Somehow he knows what everyone is up to...

By all other accounts, it was just another damp spring day. The rains and thawing snow had left the ground muddy, the paths rutted and sticky, and it was through this that the carriage carrying the newly appointed Ambassador of Hateno picked its way across the fields of Hyrule.

Wild lounged about in the cabin. They’d been traveling for _weeks_ , and the messy conditions had done nothing but slow them down. If they’d let him ride his _own_ horse, he would have been there already. None of this nonsense with the carriage; traveling a few miles, getting stuck in the mud, pulling it out, getting it stuck _again_ … He groaned. He would have been perfectly fine by himself, but his arrival was an excuse to send long-delayed goods and letters to the capitol. The long arm of the Kingdom didn’t visit Hateno often, so when it did, they made it count. Wild ground his teeth in frustration. The messengers had arrived, and things had happened so quickly…

_“Wild. Open the door.”  
“Yes…?” Wild stepped outside his home cautiously, straightening when he saw who it was. The governor himself stood on his doorstep, grimacing as though he’d eaten something sour._

_“Something’s happened at the capitol. There were messengers from Hyrule waiting at the gates this morning. They demanded we send a new ambassador_ immediately. _”_

_“What? A new ambassador? What happened to the old one –“ Wild started. The previous ambassador had left to serve the kingdom ages ago and hadn’t set foot in the province since. He’d always made sure the people of Hateno were well provided for, so there wasn’t really a need for concern, but –_

_“I don’t know. They won’t tell us anything,” the governor interrupted, waving a hand impatiently. “We need someone to serve as the new ambassador. I personally recommended_ you _.” He frowned. “Pack your things and be ready to go. You’ll be leaving tomorrow morning once the carriage is ready.”_

_“Me?” Wild stuttered. “Why me? After… after I – your daughter –“ he swallowed._

_The governor sighed. “Wild…” he began, “You are the best positioned to represent our kingdom. You’re our best fighter, can think on your feet, and_ somehow _you always come out on top. After you … lost … your position, those talents are wasted with you just sitting around.” His face hardened. “Besides. It’s better for everyone if you completed your tour of duty away from here. I can’t stand seeing your face in town. Not after what happened.”_

_Wild flinched. He knew it was true. He’d basically been a social outcast since the incident, but still, it hurt to hear._

_The governor turned and started down the stairs away from Wild’s home. “Let me know if there are any supplies you need. It’s a long journey to Hyrule. Oh, and Wild…” He stopped. “Consider this your second chance. Don’t fail us this time. You’re not going to get another one.”_

“Hey!” A voice interrupted his thoughts. It was the driver. “We’re getting close now! If you take a look outside, you can already see the castle!” he prattled on enthusiastically, red cap bobbing up and down as he nodded. Somehow, it stayed on his head. Wild had spent a lot of time watching that hat; he never saw the driver without it. The man even _slept_ with it on.

Wild pulled his long blond hair out of his face and tied it back out of the way. In one fluid motion he was out the window and on the roof of the carriage, squinting in the bright sunlight. He stood and stretched. The journey from Hateno province wasn’t an easy one, even if you got to ride in a wagon the whole way, and he was looking forward to the comforts Hyrule Castle would bring. Not that he’d admit that to anyone; he had a reputation to keep up as the guy who could sleep anywhere, eat anything, stand outside in any weather without a care in the world. But a bath would be nice.

Now that his eyes had adjusted he could see the high walls of the castle, and he had to admit it was quite a sight. Hateno was civilized, but this was the _capitol_ of the _Empire,_ jewel of the known world. Hateno was nothing in comparison. High white walls towered over the surrounding plains, sharp towers topped with rippling flags. Something gleamed from atop the city gates, and though he couldn’t make it out, he didn’t need to be told what it was. The same icon could be found everywhere within the borders of the Kingdom – the royal family crest. Oh, yes, they knew it well in Hateno, that symbol of ultimate power.

Wild slid back into the carriage and flopped back on the bench. He hated sitting still for so long. Too much time to think and let his past catch up to him. Well, the parts he remembered. Better to run and climb and ride his horse and….

_Flashes of light, a cry of pain, red blood darkening the light blue of his tunic. The heavy roars of a great beast turning to squeals as he drove his sword home. The anger hot in his veins chilling to ice when he turned around. He was too late…_

The carriage ground to a halt and Wild jerked awake. He’d fallen asleep without meaning to, and the sky had darkened to night. He stuck his head out the window at the sound of heated voices – they’d already reached the city gates. Somewhere, beyond, was the castle.

“I’m sorry sir, night has fallen and the gates are closed.” The guard intoned monotonously.

“What? But you knew we were coming. He’s expected _tonight!_ ” the driver argued, bouncing from foot to foot, hat swaying precariously.

“The gates are closed, sir,” the guard stated again. The visor of his helmet covered his eyes, and everything below that was expressionless.

“But sir! I am transporting the _Ambassador to Hateno,_ ” the driver said, and the guard stiffened at those words. He peered closely at the carriage, and Wild was glad he was shielded from his stare.

“I see. I’m sorry, sir, I did not realize. Welcome to Hyrule Castle, sir.” The guard dropped his gaze and stepped aside, motioning as he did so. Two small doors opened from the middle of the gate, and the driver flicked the reins, urging their horse forward at a slow pace. As soon as they had crossed the threshold the doors swung silently closed behind them. They were within the castle walls.

They proceeded through the city at a slow pace, and Wild couldn’t even begin to decide where to start. He was already back on the roof of the carriage, not caring about the looks he was getting, if he even noticed them. The city was _alive_ in ways Hateno was not. It was after dark but there was still _so_ much activity, and the _lights,_ and the _noise_ , and the people-! He gaped openly.

They were turning down a side alleyway towards a stable and Wild leaped off the carriage before it had fully stopped. He’d already grabbed his bag from inside when a man stepped outside and began detaching it from their horse. The driver dismounted and shoved the reins in the man’s hand without a glance. “I’ll be leaving first thing in the morning, make sure everything’s ready to go by then, and don’t be late,” he said dismissively, turning to Wild. The man didn’t seem to notice the driver’s rudeness; he was staring openly at Wild. He was dressed in a simple green tunic but had what looked to be an expensive animal pelt draped around his shoulders. _Odd accessory for a simple stable hand_ , thought Wild, taking note of the strange markings around his eyes and unkempt sandy brown hair. _Is everyone in the city this memorable?_ Wild thought and turned his attention back to the driver. The man didn’t seem hostile; if anything, there was only melancholy in his gaze.

“Sir, it appears that you have everything you need from the vehicle, so I’ll be taking your leave to deliver the mail.” The driver bowed. “Someone will arrive to escort you momentary. It has been a pleasure, ambassador. And good luck,” he finished and was gone before Wild could even say thank you.

Wild turned to the stable hand, but he was gone too, already vanished inside with the horse. The door to the stable opened again and a different man came out, strolling forward with a certain air of authority. His armor reflected the torchlight and clanked impressively as he walked. Shiny or not, Wild had no doubt that it had seen use in battle.

“Sir! The man stopped in front of him and bowed. A blue scarf complimented his light blond hair. He was every inch a perfect soldier, and Wild felt absurd standing there next to him, with his blue tunic dirty from travel and his hair loose and tangled around his shoulders. “Hello,” he responded, not sure what else to say.

“Ambassador, I am Captain Warriors of the Hylian Guard, and I’ve been assigned as your personal body guard,” he shook Wild’s hand with a grin. “It’s an honor to meet you. I’ll be taking you to your quarters now,” he started, and then stopped. “Unless… you wanted to go anywhere else first?”

“No…?” said Wild. Mostly he wanted a bed. And that bath.

“Good!” said Warriors and started off again at a brisk pace. He had a few inches on Wild who had to hustle to keep up. “There’s not much to do in this part of town anyway. Just those dirty stables. All the _real fun_ is on the south side,” he winked and nudged Wild, “just in case you ever want me to show you a night out on the town.” _How professional,_ Wild thought as they started off at a brisk pace. _Not that I’m one to talk.  
_

Wild had never looked forward to a bed more in his life. The long weeks in the carriage had left him stiff, and he wanted nothing more than to stretch out and roll around as he pleased. Warriors seemed like a nice enough guy and had inquired about his time as a soldier. Without going into too much detail Wild had shared a few stories, and soon they were chatting enthusiastically about some of their wilder adventures.

“ _Three_ arrows? At _one time?_ How the hell do you do it?! _”_

“Yeah, it took a lot of practice, but now I can fire ‘em off while doing a backflip. And upside down.”

“ _What?_ Aw man, you’re gonna have to show my little brother,” Warriors laughed loudly. “He would _love_ that. He thinks training in the sword is _so boring_ , but he wants to grow up to be in the Hylian Guard just like me. Or a pirate. _Regardless_ , I have high expectations for his swordsmanship.”

Wild laughed. They had come to his assigned quarters, a small house on a quiet street. Warriors held up a hand to Wild as he opened the door. “I’m sorry, but I have to make sure it’s safe before I can allow you inside. No one’s lived here for a long time.” Wild stood patiently outside, scanning the empty streets. After a moment, Warriors returned to the door and nodded, and Wild followed him inside.

It was a small place, just a living area and a private bedroom. Wild didn’t mind. He wasn’t much one for the creature comforts, anyway. He’d just set his bag down and turned to thank Warriors when the door burst open and a kid came bounding inside.

“ _Wind!_ What the hell are you _doing?!_ ” Warriors shouted, bringing the kid up short. His face reddened. “I’m – I’m sorry sir, this is my brother, who _should be home and in bed,_ ” he hissed, but the kid was unfazed.

“But _Warriors,_ you said you were going to pick up the ambassador, and I heard he was _really cool_ and a one of the best fighters in the kingdom, except that he kinda dropped off the face of the earth after he–“

“ _Wind!”_ Warriors clapped a hand over his mouth and Wind stopped talking for a moment. Wild smiled and held his hand out. “Wind, hi, I’m Wild. Your brother has been telling me all about you.”

Wind sprung forward and shook Wild’s hand enthusiastically. He was like a smaller version of Warriors in every way, except that he bristled with energy where Warriors moved languidly. But Wild could tell it was an act on Warrior’s part. He saw how Warriors’ eyes caught every shadow, every corner, every tiny movement. It was the same energy, Wind’s was just less controlled.

“Mmm, yes, Ambassador Wild was just telling me all about his archery skills,” Warriors said, steering the conversation to safe territory. “You can just call me Wild,” Wild interrupted. Wind chattered enthusiastically as Wild unpacked the small amount of things he’d brought. He left the Sheikah slate in the bag. People who weren’t used to it tended to be a little _too_ interested.

“What’s this?” he asked, coming out of the bedroom with a small box. Inside was a small blue instrument.

“Oh! That’s an Ocarina!” Wind supplied enthusiastically. Warriors blanched.

“That’s, uh… that must have belonged to the previous ambassador. This was his house. They cleared out all his stuff, but I guess they missed that.” He reached out his hand to take it, then stopped and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. He didn’t have any family. You’re probably the next closest thing, so you may as well keep it.”

Wild turned the ocarina over in his hands. “Warriors,” he said, and he could see him stiffen, knowing what was coming next. “What happened to the Ambassador from Hateno?”

For once, even Wind was silent. The three of them stood together in the small room, with nothing but the flickering torchlight. Finally, Warriors spoke, and his voice was small.

“He was murdered.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lately I've been indulging my love of one of my favorite genres, the Palace Intrigue story (if you haven't read A Memory Called Empire, check it out because it's REALLY GOOD). It got me thinking, what a FUN idea for a LU AU! Full disclosure that the basic setup for this story comes straight out of that book (the mysterious disappeared ambassador). Hell, this story will probably become a mashup of everything I've read over the last few months.
> 
> Unfortunately, for the story to work Time had to be out of the picture (can't really have a 'fish out of water, who can I trust' story with a wise mentor around. But trust me, he will get plenty of screen time!
> 
> As always, I welcome your critique and input!


	2. Introductions II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See chapter 1 for character descriptions.

“ _Murdered?”_

“Yeah, you don’t know that, Warriors! They never even found a body!” Everyone came unfrozen and Wind was back at it, wagging a finger at his older brother.

“God, Wind, I know you’re young but you’re not _naïve_.” Warriors shook his head. “No one just _disappears_ in this day and age, especially not _him._ Okay, I didn’t deal with him, not personally,” he said when he saw Wild’s inquiring look. “But he had a reputation. Worked round-the-clock. I think that’s all he did after he got here from your little backwards province.”

Wild snorted. “Hateno is _not_ backwards. I don’t know why everyone says that –“

Warriors laughed humorlessly. “Sorry, Ambassador. When you spend your whole life in the center of the known world, everything else seems a little… dull. Anyway,” he continued, “No one ever saw him do anything fun. He never went out or anything. I mean, _I_ certainly never saw him.” Wind rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, he had… a wife, I think.” Wild thought for a second, then gave up. “But I don’t know… he wasn’t _that_ old. She could still be around.”

Warriors shrugged, losing interest. Wind furiously tried to hide a yawn. Warriors laughed, a real one this time. “Looks like we’d better be getting you home to bed, buddy.” He knelt down so that he was at Wind’s eye level and ruffled his hair. Wild shifted, uncomfortable at this show of affection. “Look, I know you were excited to come meet my new assignment. But you can’t be out after dark by yourself. The city can be a dangerous place for a kid.”

Wind pouted and failed to cover another yawn. “But _Warriors_ , I can do it. You know I can.”

“Just because you _can_ doesn’t mean you _should._ You’re too young as it is.” Warriors stood and extended a hand to Wild. “Ambassador – er, Wild. It’s been a pleasure. I’ll be back in the morning. Don’t worry, your home is warded by magic– if anything breaches these walls, you’ll be alerted and _they’ll_ be barbecued.”

“Great…” Wild muttered. He wasn’t sure if the idea of roasting his invaders brought him any comfort. The idea of being surrounded by unknown magic sure didn’t.

Wild shut the door and locked it with a click. He hesitated, then pulled back the curtain and looked out the window. Warriors had Wind on his shoulders and they were laughing as they walked away down the street, and Wild felt suddenly, stupidly jealous. He yanked the curtain closed with and stalked towards the bedroom, and realized he still had that little instrument clenched in his hand. What had Wind called it – an ocarina? Not that he had much use for it anyway. He'd never had time for music.

Well, that was before. Maybe in his new life he’d learn to appreciate the finer things in life. Wild shrugged, opened the nearest drawer, and shoved the ocarina inside.

* * *

_His sword against the great beast. Blood. His failure, repeated over, and over, and over_

Wild jerked awake with a groan. That dream again. If he had to relive the same moment _every_ time he fell asleep, why did he still have to wake up sweating, heart racing, anxiety on high alert? You’d think at some point he’d just get used to it. _Yep, that’s me. Failed, lost everything, I got it. Thanks for the reminder!_

Wild sighed and hopped out of bed, pulling the curtain back to peek outside. The sky held that deep purple hue that signaled morning was on the way. He’d managed to sleep impressively late, for him. Maybe he _was_ getting used to it.

He’d just dropped the curtain when there was a _swish_ from outside and the wards flared to life. The walls of the house lit up with golden light, emitting a distinct hum. Wild grabbed his sword and rushed to the front door. He yanked it open just as a large, dark shape rushed past him. Before he could move it had disappeared into the darkness.

Wild shook his head and closed the door. If that’s what assassins around here were like, they were going to have to try a lot harder than _that._

* * *

“Ambassador! Ambassador! Open up!”

Wild opened the door to find Warriors, looking radiant as always. Wild looked down at his own blue tunic. At least it was clean this time. And he’d combed his hair.

Warriors’s expression said that he _maybe_ looked a bit rough, but he was polite enough to hold his tongue. “Morning, ambassador. Hope you got your beauty rest, because you’re due in court today.” Nope, he definitely looked like shit.

The sun was rising in the sky as they walked, Warriors apologizing profusely that they had to go by foot. There’d been some kind of mishap in the castle stables and their horses had gotten out. Wild didn’t mind; the slower pace gave him time to take in more of the city. It was early, but there was already a hive of activity. Merchants were unpacking and setting out their wares, the carpenters and soldiers were hurrying to their posts. Warriors paused for a moment and came jogging back with two steaming buns. They ate in silence and were at the castle doors before too much time had passed.

Warriors greeted the guard warmly, clapping him on the back. The guard motioned to Wild and they continued into the castle, stepping into a beautiful garden, lush with greenery and fountains that bubbled with the clearest water Wild had ever seen. They proceeded through a maze of hallways, eventually coming to a ornate door with the seal of the royal family embossed in gold. As Warriors went to knock it burst open, and a stream of guards ushered them aside. A great man strode forth and Wild knew at once it was the king.

Wild and Warriors were pressed to the side as the king and his retinue marched past. At the last moment, the king stopped and held up a hand. He turned, catching Wild with the full force of his gaze. A great white beard covered his chest, and his hair flowed back behind his shoulders as though moved by an unseen wind.

“You must be Ambassador Wild of Hateno.” The king said. His sonorous voice boomed in Wild’s ears.

“Yes, sir, I am.” Wild knelt.

“Hmm,” said the king. His eyes were like chips of ice, hard and cold. “When the news came to me that it was _you_ they had chosen, I had my doubts. I don’t have time to meet with you today. You’ll speak with the prince Sky.” The king turned and resumed his procession down the hall, guard flowing behind. “My condolences for your predecessor. If I can offer a word of advice on his behalf,” the king glanced back over his shoulder, “Know your place.”

“Well,” Warriors whispered once the king was gone. “I’m glad I don’t have _your_ job. Come on, Prince Sky is much easier to deal with. I just hope it’s _only_ him.” He pulled Wild towards the gilded doors, which stood wide open. “What do you – “ Wild started, but then he was in the throne room, standing before the prince.

Sky looked every inch a royal, hair framing his face in gentle waves, wrapped in a blindingly white cloak embossed with the symbol of the royal family. But when he smiled, his eyes were kind. Wild felt himself begin to relax a bit.

“Ambassador Wild,” Sky said, and Wild bowed. “No, no, please stand, it’s quite all right. I was a soldier like you before I married into the royal family. It’s still a bit strange when everyone practically falls over in my presence.” He laughed, and Wild could see why the people loved him. He smiled.

“Welcome,” Sky continued. “I hope you’ve found Hyrule to your liking. I’m so sorry to hear about Ambassador Time. He was a good man. Hard to get close to, but I hear he was well regarded by those who did.” Wild nodded. He was trying to think of a polite way to ask for more details about Time when the doors burst open.

“Sky! We’re back. Hope you weren’t _too_ bored without us. Thank god the king is finally out of here, what a fucking buzzkill. Who the hell’s this?” A short man marched straight into the room. He skipped the steps entirely and vaulted on to the platform, peering down at Wild. “Long hair… scars… dumb clothes… you must be the new ambassador! Don’t be a fucking idiot like the last guy and get yourself killed, okay?” Wild took in his fine red coat and the pink stripe in his hair. _And_ my _clothes are stupid?_ He bristled.

“Legend!” Another man hurried into the room. His clothes were simple but well-made. His hair was curly where the others’ was straight, but Wild could tell the three were related. These must be the prince’s brothers.

“I’m so sorry about him,” Hyrule said and offered Wild a hand, smiling as he did so. “Hey! Don’t apologize for me, I’m right here!” Legend griped from the dais until Sky placed a hand on his shoulder. He wore a smile but Wild watched with interest when Legend stopped talking immediately.

“Ambassador Wild,” Sky started.

“Just Wild, please—”

“ _Wild_ ,” Sky continued, “These are my brothers, prince Legend and prince Hyrule,” Legend crossed his arms as Hyrule gave a small wave. “As you know, Princess Zelda is heir to the royal throne. Unfortunately, she is not here to meet with you today. You see, she’s quite an accomplished negotiator, and she’s away creating a trade agreement with the Gorons for their spices, and...” Sky reddened as he talked, and Wild smiled softly. It was easy to see that the prince’s love for Zelda was genuine.

“Okay, okay, let’s not get all gross here,” Legend interrupted. Wild barely suppressed an irritated glare and managed to keep his face blank. “Sky, we’ve got some really important news for you from the east. It looks like –“ Legend broke off when Hyrule lightly touched his arm.

“Nothing personal, Ambassador Wild,” Hyrule smiled. “But you might need more than one day in court before you’re ready to be included in the _super_ _secret_ council.” He laughed, but it was clear to Wild he was dismissed.

“Oh, um… okay. Thank you,” He bowed in the general direction of the three princes. Sky gave a small wave. “It was very nice to meet you, Ambassador Wild.” Hyrule waved as well, but Legend stared at Wild with unrelenting intensity.

Sky gave a nod and before Wild knew it, he was standing outside the gilded doors, which closed gently in front of him. He turned to find Warriors pretending to lean casually against the wall, though Wild suspected he’d been eavesdropping as much as the stout doors would allow. “So? How’d it go? _And_ you got to meet the other princes as well. Hyrule’s a good guy, quiet, could use some work on his swordplay, but don’t underestimate him. Legend, on the other hand, he’s an _asshole_ – “ he lowered his voice and whispered conspiratorially to Wild “- but he’s got some tricks up his sleeve. If you’ve ever seen his _fire rod_ in action –“

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Wild waved Warriors quiet. Had it really only been a few hours since they’d left his house? He could feel the beginnings of a headache. “Warriors, they said they just came from the ‘east.’ What does that mean? What’s going on over there?”

“Oh, um…” Warriors paused, and Wild could see a brief flash of uncertainty cross his face.

“It’s okay if you can’t tell me, I guess. But, if I’m going to be successful as ambassador, I need to know this stuff,” Wild corrected himself. What he said to Warriors was true – if he was going to get _anywhere_ , he needed to know these things. Needed the princes to trust him, too.

“Well…” Warriors sighed. “It’s not like it’s top secret, anyway. Okay. What do you know about the Gerudo?”

“A little bit,” said Wild. “They’re thieves, right?”

“ _Fighters.”_ Warriors corrected him. “Not thieves. Not anymore. They’ve been part of the empire for a long time now, ever since the king conquered the desert. Personally, I might add. Right, so they’ve been part of us for awhile, but lately…” He quieted as they walked by a group of Zora diplomats, laughing and talking in their own language. Wild could feel their eyes on his back as they passed.

“Lately there’s been talk of a new leader. Some kind of demagogue, getting everyone riled up. Rumors of war.”

“ _War?”_ Wild hissed. The empire had been at peace since before he was born. Sure, they’d had minor _skirmishes_ , but…

“Yeah, war.” Warriors sighed. “My little brother thinks it would be great. He wants to get out there and prove himself.” A troubled look crossed his face. “But I’ve been out there, on the front lines. It’s not like all the stories make it sound.”

Wild grimaced. “No, no it’s not.”

* * *

Warriors showed Wild to his office, and he set to work doing some of his official duties. The thought of _war_ had put a sour taste in his mouth, and a sequence of bloody images kept coming to mind. Distant battles from his forgotten past. He started sorting through the mail in an effort to distract himself.

Most of it was pretty benign - requests from citizens of Hateno who lived in the city, a property dispute, a formal welcome to his post and an invitation to dinner from the Goron ambassador – “A great guy! But watch out, he’ll drink you under the table” Warriors supplied – and miscellaneous transactions. It was late and Warriors was chatting with another guard in the hallway by the time Wild got to the last piece of mail. It was a short letter, tucked away in a simple green envelope. When he opened it, a soft melody played.

_I know that you have 'the instrument.’ Keep it close. Don’t trust ANYONE from the castle._

_Remember this song. It will help more than you know._

The letter was signed with an intricate drawing of a bird … wearing a hat? Wild frowned. Was this a joke? Someone playing a stupid trick on the new ambassador? As he held it, the letter suddenly burst into multicolored flames. Alarmed, he dropped it, but it was gone before it hit the desk.

“You about done in here?” Warriors poked his head back in the room. “We’ve been invited out by the Zora. You should probably go, it’d be good for you to start meeting people.”

Wild stared at the spot where the letter used to be. “No, I – not tonight. Just… take me back, and you can do whatever you want.”

“You okay?” Warriors asked.

“Yeah… just a lot to learn in one day.” He lied and contorted his face into what he hoped passed as a smile. _Don’t trust anyone from the castle._ The melody echoed sweetly over his pounding headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, done with introductions, on to the plot! Or something along those lines.
> 
> I'm sad to say I've never played Skyward Sword, so I can't make too many comments on that Zelda's character. It's next on my list, though. I don't have BOTW either (open world games and I don't mix), but I'm living vicariously through the cut scenes. I find the idea of 'science-y Zelda' FASCINATING. Maybe someday.
> 
> As always, I welcome your critique. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

The weeks passed, and Wild gradually fell into a routine. Wake up early (usually from a nightmare, _but not always,_ thank you), and do some reading before Warriors arrived to escort him to the castle. Go to his office, answer the mail, send official communications back to Hateno. Attend meetings about topics he didn’t understand. Meet people from around the kingdom – Gorons, Zora, Gerudo. Try not to think of _war_ when talking to the Gerudo, please. Back to office, more mail and administration. _More_ meetings – were they even speaking Hylian? Escorted home by Warriors, fall asleep on the couch as soon as he walked in the door. Wake up again, meeting more people, Ruto and Deku this time, and _yes_ , he promised to get that drink with the Goron ambassador soon – was tonight ok? Yes, Warriors said his schedule was clear, even if he _really didn’t_ want _to_ , _you can’t keep putting him off –_

Wild woke up on his couch with a groan. The sun shone brightly through his window – goddesses, had he slept that late? And his head was _pounding_. He limped to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water, catching a glimpse of his reflection in the hallway mirror. He looked like _shit,_ bags like bruises under his eyes, hair a tangled mess –

A gentle knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. Chugging the water, he walked carefully over and pulled it open. Wind stood at the door, looking sheepish.

“Oh, hey, Wild… How you feeling?” He bit his lip to keep from saying more. Clearly Warriors had raised him well.

“Well… I feel like shit, actually. Do you know- where’s Warriors?” Wild caught himself and apologized for swearing, but Wind just shrugged.

“Welllllll…. Actually, that’s why I’m here. See, you guys went out with Daruk – the Goron ambassador – last night, and Warriors… challenged him to a drinking contest.”

“Just Warriors? ‘Cause it sure feels like I did, too.”

“Well… yeah, you tried.” Wind snickered. “Anyway, Warriors sent me to tell you that you don’t have any meetings today, and he thinks it would be best if you took a day to yourself. He says, you know, it’s been awhile, is all.”

“Uh-huh…” Wild nodded and immediately regretted it. “I think you’re right. Tell Warriors he has the day off, too, and I’ll see him tomorrow.”

“Okay, than you so much Wild!” He leaped forward and caught Wild in a hug. Wild blinked and patted his back halfheartedly. “I’ll let Warriors know. He looks even worse than you! Bye!” Wind was gone down the street before Wild could say anything else.

Wild shut the door and shuffled back to the couch. Warriors was right, it _had_ been awhile. A day off could be nice…

* * *

Wild woke a few hours later. The raging headache had quieted and he felt _alive_ again, thank Hylia. Stretching, he walked over to the window and was relieved to see the sun was still high in the sky. He still had a whole day to himself!

Wild hummed as he dug through his small pile of things. What to even do with time off? Practice with his bow? It’s not like he was back in Hateno to – his eye caught the shield, leaning unused against the wall – unless, there _were_ some steep hills on the outskirts of town….

Wild grinned, grabbed the shield, and was out the door. The wards made a wet noise as they closed behind him.

 _“Fuck yeah!”_ Wild cheered as he zoomed down the slope. He was at an old quarry, still situated within the city walls. Thankfully, there was no one around to terrify as he whipped down the hill at breakneck speed, balanced carefully on his shield as he sped over the loose gravel.

Wild careened around a curve and saw to his dismay that the hill terminated in a retaining pond. He eyed the shield beneath him – okay, he could pull this off – and launched himself on to the pond. He _surfed_ across the water, generating a giant wave with a grin, and, grabbing the shield, _backflipped_ off and landed precisely on the dock.

Right next to the guy from the stable who was standing there, wide-eyed, a fishing pole in hand. Wild flinched as the water crashed down a second later and drenched them both. They both stood frozen. Water dripped lazily off the stable hand’s fur wrap, but _it seemed pretty water resistant_ Wild thought absurdly, and stifled a hysterical giggle.

The man took off the pelt and wrung it out, and then broke the silence by laughing. Wild joined in, more out of relief than anything else. The man shook out the pelt and wrapped it back around his shoulders.

“You must be the new ambassador. From Hateno.” His laughter stopped abruptly and he watched Wild with the same serious intensity as before. Wild stared back, tracing the dark lines etched on his forehead in strange patterns, but the man didn’t seem to care.

“Yes… yes, that’s me.” He offered a hand and the man paused, considered it, and finally accepted. He had the strong grip of a manual laborer, which Wild matched.

“I’m… Twilight,” the man offered. He had a drawl that Wild associated with back home – _with places that weren’t_ the City – and despite the circumstances he felt a sudden pang of homesickness.

“Where’re you from, Twilight?” he asked, but Twilight stiffened at the question. “Why do you ask?” he said, taking the tiniest of steps back, eyes narrowing. Wild blinked as Twilight’s hand twitched towards his weapon, a beat up wooden sword.

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean anything by it. Sorry,” Wild added, taking a step back and raised his hands in a gesture of peace. Twilight’s hands fell back to his sides, but he didn’t relax. “It’s just… your accent, it reminded me of home. Of the country,” he smiled.

“Oh… Right.” Twilight considered. “I’m from… the west.” He stopped.

Wild shifted uncomfortably in the awkward silence. Finally he collected his shield from where it had landed, and gave Twilight a small wave. “It was nice meeting you. Sorry about that. I didn’t expect to see anyone out here.”

Twilight smiled at that. “Yeah, me ‘neither. Normally it’s just me. I like to come out here when I’m not working and fish a bit. Clears my head.”

“ _That’s_ how you fish? So… civilized,” Wild giggled. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You catch more if you, you know-“ Wild gestured wide and made explosion noises.

Twilight snorted. “If you blow them all up, they’re not gonna come back.” Wild was relieved to see that he had relaxed. Twilight finished putting away his fishing gear and nodded to him. “Well met, ambassador. I hope I’ll see you ‘round here again. Just… try not to splash me next time,” he laughed.

Wild smiled. “Me too, me too. Will you be okay getting home with just that? It’s going to be getting dark soon.” he gestured at Twilight’s wooden sword.

Twilight nodded solemnly. “Yeah. Only _citizens_ are allowed to carry actual swords in the city. And people like you. I can still do some damage with this,” he grinned.

“Citizens? I guess… I didn’t realize-“

“I’m surprised you didn’t know, considering – only people born here in Hyrule are _citizens_. The rest of us provincial folk are... not.”

“No, I knew that.” Wild interrupted. “Just not that they couldn’t defend themselves.”

“Yeah, that law’s pretty new.” Twilight shrugged. “With all the unrest… guess we can’t be trusted.”

“Guess not…” Wild watched Twilight walk back down the path until he disappeared into the tangle of buildings. _Don’t trust anyone._ But he wanted to.

The sun was setting by the time Wild made it back to his house. No one had bothered him on the way, and now that he knew about the law, it was painfully obvious why. People _looked_ at him differently when they saw that he had a weapon – soldiers made to challenge him until they looked closer and bowed respectfully, but those who weren’t citizens cringed away, whether Hylian or one of the other races or – _I guess the other races_ aren’t _Hylians, then, are they?_ he thought bitterly – he’d have to look into this more when he got back –

He was home. Wild deactivated the wards and stepped inside, closing the door gently behind him. He suddenly felt exhausted, and relieved. He’d finally made a friend – Twilight was standoffish but there was something about him that _seemed_ trustworthy. Having given up on sleeping in a bed anymore, he arranged himself on the couch, and felt a distant hope for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for now. I guess we still haven't actually gotten anywhere plot wise. Oops.
> 
> Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

More weeks passed, and Wild finally felt like he was getting a hang of things. He understood _most_ of what they were talking about in the meetings (except economics - he didn’t understand a word of _that_ ). He’d finally met the Princess Zelda, and she was just as engaging and clever as Sky had said. He’d asked a question about the trade agreements and she’d quickly lost him with intense descriptions of the Goron economy (“You might ask what they need spices for if they just eat _rocks_ ”) and how it was closely entwined with the Kingdom's. But hey, at least he hadn’t embarrassed himself.

He’d met with the princes a few more times, too. Legend was still _kind_ of an asshole, but he’d gathered that underneath he was actually nice? Maybe? Or so prince Hyrule told him. They’d met for lunch a few times to discuss some appeals Wild was making on behalf of Hateno, and actually had a lot more in common than he’d realized. One day Wild had very gently ventured about Legend’s behavior.

“That’s just ‘cause he’s afraid of court life,” Hyrule snorted.

“Are you allowed to tell me this?” Wild asked, bewildered.

Hyrule shrugged. “He’s been getting on my nerves lately. Besides, you seem like a good kid. The three of us – that is, my brothers and I – aren’t from around here, as you might’ve noticed. Sky served in the imperial army, and he and the princess became close, and well, the rest is history.” He laughed and Wild joined him.

“But Legend and I, we… didn’t have that life,” Hyrule continued. “Both of us left that tiny village looking for adventures. And boy, did we find them _in spades._ When Sky told us he was _marrying_ the princess of Hyrule, and that he’s next in line for the throne, and that made _us_ royalty now –“ Hyrule whistled. “Yeah. That was… a big deal. All the sudden you can’t go off and disappear for months on end. People try to _kill you._ It… it took me some time, but I know Sky wouldn’t have asked unless he meant it. He _needs_ us here. He _needs_ to know that he has people he can trust.”

“And Prince Legend?” Wild asked.

“He’s… coming around.” Hyrule grimaced. “He’s better than he was, but he _really_ doesn’t want to be here. But I think he knows it, too. We can’t let anything happen to Sky.”

“Mmm.” Wild steeled himself. “Prince Hyrule, I… I’ve heard rumors. Of trouble. In the east?” he couldn’t help it coming out as a squeak.

Hyrule went very still. Wild gulped. Here he went, involving himself in things that didn’t concern him –

“I don’t know what you’ve heard,” Hyrule interrupted his thoughts. His eyes were still kind, but they held a sharpness that made Wild sweat nervously. He opened his mouth to apologize but the prince went on. “But yeah. There’s been some _unrest._ And not just in the east.”

Hyrule glanced around the empty room before he lowered his voice and continued. “Let’s just say that those _in charge_ have made some _decisions_ that have hurt the other regions we control. I’ve been there. They’re not just _resources,_ they’re people.” He shook his head in disgust before standing and gathering his things. “All I’m saying is, Sky wouldn’t do those things. _Zelda_ wouldn’t either. You understand, right?”

Wild nodded. “Thanks for meeting today, Prince Hyrule,” he said carefully. “I hope we can get those contracts sorted away soon.”

“You can just call me Hyrule. All these formalities aren’t me. Also,” he grinned, “I don’t think I need to tell you _not_ to be sharing what we talked about today.”

“Nope.” Wild said.

“Good. _I_ don’t need to threaten you, but Legend can find you no matter where you hide. Bye!”

“Bye…” Wild waved. He didn’t need threats to tell him to keep his mouth shut around royals.

* * *

It was dark by the time Wild left the castle. This had quickly become his usual schedule; stay late, go home, maybe sleep for a few hours, get woken up by his usual nightmares _again –_ even staying as busy as possible hadn’t helped to chase them away, _or_ the feelings of inadequacy, he shouldn’t even be here, not in this situation –

Wild shook himself. If he was going to walk home at night by himself, he needed to be ready. It had taken some time, but he’d convinced Warriors to let him do this – “ _I have a sword and you_ know _I know how to use it. Besides, you have Wind to take care of”_ – and he’d be furious if Wild got himself killed and made him look bad. A distant part of his brain reminded him that this was stupid, self-destructive behavior, but he ignored it.

Besides, no one had really bothered him. Castle town wasn’t really all that dangerous, not compared to the things he’d seen out in the province. Nightmarish, other-worldly things. Your average thief wasn’t anything compared to that. Especially that last fight, which had ruined his life - _he’d ruined it himself_ _, really,_ _–_ and left him with amnesia. They’d told him all the things he’d done, but what was the point of being _told_ the story of your own life? It may as well have happened to someone else. Like a book, and a badly written one at that

Oh, but that fight. He remembered _those_ details so clearly _,_ the satisfaction at his hard-won victory, the twisting in his gut when he saw her lying there, but it was _too late, she was_ gone –

Wild stopped short when he heard the whispering of footsteps behind him. _Damn it,_ he thought _, you let yourself get carried away and_ this _is what happens._ Sighing, he unsheathed his sword but didn’t turn around.

“Okay, you’d better show yourself before I have to come _get you,_ ” he said, and waited. There was silence, and when he did turn, the wide streets were empty. The buildings were set close together, so there wasn’t anywhere for someone to hide.

Wild stared for a second longer, then shrugged and sheathed his sword. He’d frequently felt like he was being followed on these trips home, but there was never anyone there. He’d switched up his routes, the time he left, even went with Warriors, and still felt it. At this point, it was probably his nerves and lack of sleep. He turned back –

– and almost ran straight into a group of Zora, standing directly in front of him.

“Hello,” he tried cautiously.

“Hello, Ambassador Wild,” the Zora responded, towering above him, arms crossed. Clearly, they did _not_ have his best interests in mind. The rest were slowly circling to surround him. If that happened, it would be very difficult to get himself out of this one. Wild backed out of their reach, smiling. “What’s this all about?”

The leader eyed him, expressionless. “Your predecessor, Time. We know he was looking for something, and we know he found it. We know _you_ have it.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Wild responded, but his mind was on that letter. _I know that you have the instrument_. Was it from the Zora? Stupid bird and all? Weird choice, but –

“Don’t lie to me, ambassador,” the Zora interrupted his thoughts. The others had given up on circling him and instead readied their projectile fins. “We know you have it, and you’d better give it to us _before –_ “

Wild didn’t wait for him to finish. He launched himself at the nearest Zora, aiming his shield right at his head. It connected with a loud _clang_ and the Zora crumpled to the ground. Wild dodged a fin but the second caught him above the eyebrow, blood streaming into his eyes. For a moment he wished for his bow, but killing them all probably wasn’t good for diplomatic relations –

A low growl came from his right. The Zora and Wild all paused as something _large_ emerged from the darkness.

A giant wolf prowled forth into the torchlight. Wild cursed. It was almost as big as he was. These guys he could handle, but add this thing into the mix and now he was really done for. He drew his sword, but the wolf charged past him straight towards the nearest Zora, who cursed as it latched onto his left arm. He slashed with his other fin and the wolf released him with a snarl, but Wild was already running forward with a yell.

The remaining Zora threw up some kind of shield and grabbed their downed companion and ran off. Wild whipped towards the wolf, but it sat back and watched him inquisitively. Wild eyed it for a moment before slowly sheathing his sword.

The wolf stepped forward cautiously, wagging its tail in a show of peace. It drew level with Wild, and they both stared at each other. “You know I had that, right?” Wild said. “I don’t know what you are, but I don’t need your help.”

The wolf huffed and nudged him forward. Wild dug a cloth out of his bag and pressed it to his forehead, but the bleeding had mostly stopped. He saw that wolf had a gouge on its left flank from the Zora’s fin. Wild made a vague effort of offering it the cloth, but the wolf snorted and Wild could have _sworn_ it rolled its eyes. _Great_. _Now I’m talking to animals,_ thought Wild.

They walked back to his house in silence. The wolf carefully delivered him and waited outside until the door had closed and the wards had sealed shut. Wild pulled back the curtain and watched it leap on to the roof of the nearest building, and then it was gone.

 _This is surreal_ , Wild thought as he applied a potion to his forehead. He grimaced at the sting, but was pleased to see that it healed up almost all the way. That would be gone in a couple of days. Probably wouldn’t even leave a scar. Thank Hylia for modern medicine.

Wild changed out of his bloodied clothes and pulled the ocarina out of the drawer. He blew into it, but no sound came out. Frustrated, he threw it across the room. Wild regretted this immediately and cringed as the instrument clattered against the wall. He rushed over, but thankfully, it was unharmed.

He considered the ocarina carefully as he sat back on the couch. Zora trying to kill him, getting saved by literal monsters… What the hell had his predecessor gotten him into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclosure, I have absolutely nothing against economics. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

The sky overhead was gray and bleak, hinting at snow, and it matched Wild’s mood perfectly. The people around him avoided eye contact as he stomped through the streets, shield on his back. After last night, he’d told Warriors he wasn’t doing _anything_ official today. Let the Zora think they’d gotten to him. He needed a distraction.

As Wild trudged up the path to the quarry, he could see someone sitting on the dock in the distance. He was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Twilight. To be honest, he’d been hoping to see him here. He needed a friendly face today.

Twilight, for his part, looked as though he’d been thinking the same thing. He was on his feet as Wild walked up, fishing pole in hand. Though Wild wasn’t sure how much fishing he expected to get done, considering his left arm was in a sling.

“What happened to _you?_ ” Wild asked. Twilight had a guilty expression as he responded.

“Oh, y’know… one of the horses got me. Wasn’t paying enough attention. What about you? How’s your, uh… face?” he asked, squinting at Wild’s hairline.

“This?” Wild said, brushing his bangs aside. He’d thought it had healed up all the way, but maybe not. “Well… let’s just say I had too much fun last night.” Twilight nodded but didn’t press further. He sat back down on the dock, and Wild tossed his shield aside and joined him. He gestured at Twilight’s arm. “Did you actually think you were going to catch anything like that?”

“Well…” Twilight gave a small smile. “I was gonna try. But it’s not working out like I’d hoped.”

“Can I try?” Wild asked. Twilight gave him a doubtful look before handing the pole over. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to break it. Or blow it up.”

Twilight laughed quietly as he walked Wild through using the fishing rod. Wild thought this was pretty inefficient and pointedly told him so.

Twilight rolled his eyes, and Wild thought there was something familiar in that, but – “Patience is good for you, Wild. Sometimes it’s about the time you spend doing something, not what you get out of it.” Wild snorted.

They sat in silence for some time, watching as Wild failed spectacularly at catching anything. Finally, Twilight spoke hesitantly.

“Wild… to be honest, I came here looking for you. Actually, I’ve been here a few times hoping you’d come back.” Wild stiffened, suspicion rising in the back of his mind. Here he’d thought he’d had a genuine connection and it was just another person _wanting something else from him –_

Twilight saw him tense and quickly shook his head. “No, Wild, I…” He looked out over the water before turning back. “Can I trust you with something? Something important?”

Wild eyed him cautiously. “What is it?”

Twilight grimaced and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath as he opened them again and reached into his bag. In his hand was a collection of small notebooks bound tightly together with twine. “I … knew Time. These were his. I think they might help you find out what happened to him.”

“What the hell, Twilight?” Wild jumped to his feet. Twilight flinched and pulled back. “You’ve had these the whole time? And you didn’t think to mention this the _first_ time we met?”

Twilight shook his head. “He gave them to me right before he… disappeared. He said to _only_ give it to the new Ambassador if it was someone I could trust. I just had to be sure,” he added when he saw Wild’s expression.

“What? And you heard it was me, and you were _right_ to _not_ trust me.“ Wild choked out, brushing aside angry tears. This was infuriating. Here he was crying about old scars in front of someone who was practically a _stranger_ –

Twilight set the journals away from the water and got carefully to his feet. He took a few tentative steps forward and laid a hand on Wild’s shoulder. “Wild…” he said gently, “I know the stories, okay? I’d heard who you were, and about what happened. But I also know that's not the _whole_ story, I’m sure that you –“

“No, they’re right.” Wild turned away and stalked back towards the shore. “Whatever you’ve heard, it's true.” He paused. Twilight waited patiently for him to continue. “I… You may not know, but Hateno borders the unknown lands. Our duty as a province is to stop the evil _before_ it enters the kingdom of Hyrule.”

“Ordon’s the same way,” Twilight commented.

Wild nodded. “Everyone is trained to fight starting when they’re young. The governor took notice of my skills at a young age, and I advanced to captain of the guard by the time I was 17. I was then made the personal guard to the governor's daughter.” The tears were gone and his voice was flat, rehearsed. “Her powers were widely known, and they thought that by putting us together – my fighting, her magic – we’d be able to protect the kingdom from anything. And for awhile, we did.

“But one day… _it_ came. I don’t know the details, like what it was or where it came from. I haven’t asked. I just remember that it was some horrible, dark, flaming _animal_ , and its _eyes_ –“ Wild shivered, and composed himself before continuing. “But I do know that I killed it. And while we was focused on _that_ , _distracted_ , it… she… “ Wild paused and inhaled deeply, then continued in a measured tone. “She had to stay focused to use her magic. And while we were doing that, a _moblin,_ something _stupid_ that I could have taken out in seconds...”

Twilight nodded. Wild was silent for a few moments longer before continuing in that same rote voices as before. “Well. Now you know. In the fight, I sustained a head injury. When I woke up I barely remembered _anything_ , and that was when they told me what happened, that I killed the beast but _failed her_ , and then they tossed me aside, and they weren’t even sorry.” He shrugged. “And they shouldn’t be. I know what I did. So when the governor gave me the opportunity to come here, I thought it was a chance to start over.” His eyes fell on the notebooks. “And _now_ look what I’ve gotten myself into.”

“I’m sorry,” said Twilight.

Wild snorted. “Thanks, but I don’t need your pity.”

“No, Wild, you don’t need pity. Not from me, or from _yourself,_ ” said Twilight. “What?” Wild whirled to face him.

“You act like you’ve accepted it, like what happened is done and over. But it’s not.

“Wild, what happened to you is terrible. What happened to _her_ is terrible. But she was sworn to defend the kingdom, even to death. As are you. I think she’d respect your choices, were she here today. But,” continued Twilight, “I don’t think your self-pity or destructive choices are living up to her memory.” Wild frowned.

“You said this was your second chance, Wild, and getting yourself hurt or killed won’t help you. Or her. Or Time.”

Wild snorted. “It figures I get this from you. Here I was hoping you’d tell me otherwise.”

Twilight’s mouth twisted in a smile, but his eyes remained serious. “Friends tell you what you need to hear, not what you want.” Wild blinked. “But if you ever need an ear, you know where to find me.”

Wild nodded. He walked back to the end of the pier and picked up the diaries. The bundle was light, but it weighed heavily on his mind. He didn’t _want_ this. But he couldn’t walk away without knowing. He doubted Time would have, either.

“Hey, um… thanks.” He called to Twilight, who nodded.

* * *

_Dear Malon,_

_I miss you. I thought writing a letter to you might help. I could pretend you’re still here, managing the ranch, a smile when I come home. The first few times, I couldn't even write your name._

“Are you okay? You’re making a weird face there.”

“Yes,” Wild swallowed thickly and cleared his throat. “His uh… his wife must have died. I think the whole thing is a letter to her.”

“Oh… that’s heavy.” Twilight patted his shoulder. “Hey, can you read it aloud?”

“What? You haven’t looked through this already?” said Wild, surprised.

“No," Twilight shrugged. "I can't read. Not something you learn when you're herding goats.”

 _Both from the provinces, yet such different lives,_ Wild mused _._ “Sure,” he said, and picked up the manuscript again.

_I know what to do now. You always gave me the advice I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear. All I want right now is to hear your voice again, laughing at me for spilling something, or telling me what the cuccoos were up to._

_You’d be proud that I’ve accepted the ambassador post. You know how the governor had pressured me for_ years _, and I’d always refused – I told him over and over that city life isn’t for me. But I just couldn’t stay at the farm any longer. I know, I know, you’ll be mad, but I sold it to Ingo! Oh, I know what I’ve said about him. But it was easier this way. It’s all meaningless without you. The farm isn’t a home anymore. There’s nothing left for me in Hateno._

 _I need to tell you this, Malon, I need to write it somewhere that isn’t just in my own head. I’m not going to Hyrule out of a sense of civic duty. No, I’ve heard the rumors from the fairies and from the forest folk. There’s_ magic _in Hyrule. There’s something in the city that they say will let you turn back time. No one knows for sure. A weapon? Maybe. I don’t care what it is. And I don’t care what I have to do to get it. I’ll pay any price if it will bring you back to me._

_Time_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was trying to channel [this scene](https://linkeduniverse.tumblr.com/post/186571477369/memories-pt2-previous-based-on-these-guys). Some of the dialogue is from there, too.
> 
> As always, I welcome your feedback. Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter! I liked the flow and didn't want to break it up.

Wild and Twilight parted amicably. Twilight was nervous as the sun started to set and insisted he had to get back, though not before returning Wild back to his home. At first, Wild tried to protest – he wasn’t some child who couldn’t walk around unattended. But Twilight insisted, citing recent increases in attacks on citizens – armed ones. Deaths, even. As he spoke, his eyes kept darting to the partially-healed scar on Wild’s forehead, and Wild idly wondered how quickly _that_ news had spread if even those outside the castle seemed to know about it. But he found himself grateful for Twilight’s presence; there seemed to be more lurking shadows than ever.

Once he had safely closed his door, and waved farewell to Twilight - who insisted he would be _absolutely fine_ on the way home, really, it wasn’t far – Wild pulled the journals from his bag. He fell into the couch and started sorting. After that dramatic introductory letter, the following entries were mundane – _boring_ , even. He hated to say it, but Time could be rather… florid at times, and it was embarrassing to read someone else’s personal love letters. Even if they _were_ dead.

He skimmed several droll pages about court proceedings until the word _trouble_ caught his eye. Wild shuffled pages around until he found the beginning.

_Dear Malon,_

_I got myself into some trouble today… not that you’d be surprised. Ha!_

_Somehow I’ve already been in Hyrule for several years. Time has gone by so quickly, but I’ve never forgotten what brought me here. Not for a second. I’ve been exploring the secret catacombs of the castle. They’re surprisingly easy to get into, despite the security around the king. I suppose most people aren’t willing to jump into the dirty castle moat and swim under the grates, but you know me. I only came_ close _to drowning once_ – _but I don’t want to frighten you. I digress…_

_I managed to evade the guards and slipped into the moat on the southern side of the castle. It’s rarely used to begin with. So imagine my surprise when I surfaced on the other side and found myself in a well-lit hallway. There was some kind of eternal magic in the torches._

_I proceeded slowly. The hallway sloped sharply uphill – at first, I thought it was some kind of drainage area, but why would that be so well cared-for? But when I reached the top, I understood._

_This_ was _a drainage area, but not for water. For blood._

_I stood in some kind of grotesque torture chamber. It was nauseating. Clearly the gradient was so that any … remains could be washed away, but the stains were obvious. All around me were vile instruments: chains, blades… but what frightened me most were the masks. They were lined up neatly along the wall. Some of them were even cheerful. The juxtaposition was chilling._

_When I heard his voice behind me, I swear, Malon, I was so frightened I almost killed him. But he didn’t seem worried that my knife was at his throat – it was as though he didn’t even notice. At first I thought he was a child and for a moment, I was more afraid of myself than the room around me – what was I, so scared that I’d kill_ children? _But then he spoke, and I was so relieved I almost dropped the knife. Almost._

_“You seem to have found somewhere you’re not supposed to be,” he said. His face, and his voice, were devoid of ... anything. Flat and expressionless. His tunic, though, was brilliantly colored. It looked as though he’d sewn it together out of someone else’s fine scraps. They seemed to change if I stared at them too long. But when I blinked nothing had changed._

_He was so still that I could have mistaken him for a statue. He held himself like that was the only thing keeping him together._

_“Who are you?” My voice shook though I tried to hide it. Truth be told, he was right. I_ shouldn’t _be here, but more importantly, I shouldn’t have been_ caught. _My carelessness had jeopardized everything._

_“Mmm,” he said, and his eyes changed just a fraction, as though he was thinking. Choosing, deciding._

_“Four,” he said finally. I wasn’t sure if that was a name, or a question, or –_

_“But more important is who_ you _are, Time,” He said, and I felt a thrill of fear. He already knew who I was. How? Who was he? “What-“ I took a deep breath to steady myself, and when I spoke next my voice was even. “What are you going to do to me?” I asked._

_“I’m not going to_ do _anything to you, Time. I need_ you _to do something for_ me. _I’ve been watching you,” he grinned at my expression, “and I think you’ll work. I can tell your motivations are selfish, but your heart is pure. I think you’ll make the right choice when the time comes.”_

_“What do you mean?” I started, but Four’s eyes suddenly widened and he motioned at me to be quiet and follow him. I hesitated until I heard the voices behind me. Whatever mysteries Four was getting at, they were better than being caught by the castle guards._

_I followed him back down the hall and we ducked into a nearly-invisible side door. It blended so well into the wall I thought it must be concealed with magic. The room we were in was small and cramped. Four gestured me to look through a small crack in the wall, and Hylia be damned, I did._

_The shouts and scuffling that I’d heard moments before had already turned into screams. They didn’t waste any time accessing the room's dark devices. I tried to ignore the bile building in my throat and focused my attention on the prisoners themselves. Two Gerudo women – old, white hair, almost identical except for the gems on their foreheads – one red, one blue. I didn’t have time to dwell on the significance of this because moments later, the king himself walked in._

_I shivered. I did not like the king. Every time we met it was as though his eyes could see straight through me, laying bare all of my secrets. I much preferred working with his son-in-law, the crown prince Sky, who was gentle, and pure of heart. He would never have done what I saw the king do next._

_“Tell me about the boy,” he said gently, as though genuinely interested in his safety. But there was a darkness lurking beneath those words, and the women cackled hysterically at his question._

_“We’ll never tell you anything, tyrant king!” they laughed in unison between sobs. “The king of thieves himself will rise and free the Gerudo from your rule –“_

_“No,” the king interrupted as though reprimanding a child. “I already know where he is, witch. I was hoping that at least one of our sessions would yield_ something _useful about your plans. Tonight, I learned his whereabouts. He’ll be dead by morning, and I don't need you anymore.”_

_“NO!” shrieked the women, and red and blue flames began to rise around them. The guards flinched back but the king remained steady. He held out a hand. “Kill them.” he ordered. “They can’t harm you here.”_

_I jerked away from the crack and found myself faced with Four’s somber gaze. “You see the evil your kingdom is capable of,” he said slowly. “Your king plans to kill a child. Is this where your loyalties lie?”_

_“No!” I whispered, close to tears. “Never, only to – to-“ to Malon, I left unsaid._

_“Good.” Four whispered back. “Then I need you to help me end this.”_

Wild paused for a moment. _The king?_ Killing children? He didn’t exactly _like_ the king, but… His mind flashed back to that first meeting in the hallway. “ _Know your place.”_ What on earth had Time done?

Wild shivered and picked up the manuscript again.

_Four reached in his pocket and produced a small blue instrument. He eyed me warily as he handed it over._

_“I’m going to trust you with this,” he said. “Don’t make me regret it.”_

_“What is it?” I asked, turning it over in my hand. It was a child’s toy, but I could feel the magic within._

_“The Ocarina of Time,” Four said, and something must have showed in my face because he paused, choosing his next words carefully. “I know what you’ve heard about it … but – Time, whatever you have planned, it’s not going to work.”_

_“What… what do you mean?” I asked, working very hard to keep my voice even. I was unsuccessful._

_“Time… It’s a very powerful instrument, and you can travel, and manipulate time with it, but only small things – day to night, slow things down, speed them up. I don't know what you want to do, but it can't do that.”_

_“Oh,” I said shortly. It was all I could get out. All of this. For nothing. Four took in my expression and changed the subject._

_“You saw those masks on the wall, Time?” I nodded. “They’re not just playthings. They’ll change you – some for the worse, some for the better. Some will even drive you mad.”_

_“Then why doesn’t-“_

_He nodded, as though he already knew my question. “The king doesn’t know that. And besides, I’ve already replaced them all with fakes anyway.” He grinned, and for a moment he really did resemble a child. “Come with me.”_

_We left the room through another secret passage. The other room was already silent. They must have finished already. I tried not to think about it._

_Four led me to another room, filled to the brim with chests, boxes, you name it. He gestured to some small chairs in the only clear space, and I sat._

_“Okay, Time. Here’s what I’m going to need you to do –“_

_“Wait.” I interrupted. “If you’re going to make me go on some crazy quest, you’re going to have to tell me who you are, what you’re doing, and most importantly,_ why. _” Four frowned, but I can be very stubborn, Malon, as you well know!_

_He gave in pretty quickly, all things considered. “Okay. I’ll start with myself, and I’m going to keep it brief, because you don’t need the details._

_“My name is Four, as you know, and I am the castle spymaster. Well, I_ was _the castle spymaster.” He smiled ruefully. “While the princess Zelda was young, I was the king’s confidant. But the arrival of the princes has brought new… complications. The king has always been a brutal leader, that’s for sure. You’ve heard how he conquered the Gerudo nation? It wasn’t exactly pretty.” I nodded. Those in the court had filled me in on the gruesome details. Four nodded and continued. “But now, Time, we have_ options _. You’ve met the princes, specifically Sky. The kingdom of Hyrule would cease to be a warmongering nation of conquest under Zelda and his rule. I guess you could say his kind heart compliments her brilliance.”_

_“Wait, you aren’t seriously suggesting – I’m not going to take part in some plot to_ overthrow _–“_

_“No, not that.” Four shook his head. “It’s… different._

_“There’s something in the castle. A mask they say will grant your any desire. The king knows about it, and he wants it.”_

_“Oh,” I said. “And if he gets it…”_

_“That’s right. He’ll become immortal. Or worse. The mask may take him for itself; his heart is too black. He’d never survive the temptation, and at best Hyrule and the known world would be destroyed.”_

_I paused, then asked carefully, “Why do you need me? Why can’t you do this yourself?”_

_“Because…“ Four sighed. “Because I went and got myself cursed, Time. Why do you think they call me Four? It’s like some kind of cruel joke.” I waited patiently for him to continue._

_“I’m from a different kingdom, Time. A much_ smaller _kingdom. Literally. It’s… how do I explain this. It’s all around you,” he gestured. “The Minish Kingdom.”_

_I raised one eyebrow skeptically. “So… it’s invisible.”_

_“No!” Four sighed. “No, it’s just very, very small. You can’t see it.” He must have seen something in my expression because he rolled his eyes and stood. “Fine. Let me show you.” And then he vanished._

_“Four?” I asked._

_“Down here,” said a voice from the table. I leaned down to see Four, standing there in tiny, tiny miniature. If I hadn’t heard his voice I would never have known he was there. I was honestly at a loss for words._

_“Do you get it now? You can see me because I’m letting you. But the tiny kingdom of the Minish surrounds you at every turn, working in concert with the Kingdom of Hyrule. Move back, I’m going to change.”_

_I scooted my chair and suddenly Four stood in front of me, full-sized. “Yes. I believe you now.” What else could I say?_

_Four straightened his jacket. “As I was saying. Our kingdom was under threat by – “_

_“What, a mouse?”_

_Four was unamused._ _“No! This is serious. I’m beginning to regret talking to you after all. It was under threat by an evil sorcerer… This is taking too much time. Long story short, I was cursed.”_

_“Cursed,” I echoed. Not surprised at this point._

_“Yes, cursed. In order to defeat the sorcerer, I chose to pull the sacred blade the Four Sword. I was able to defeat the great sorcerer and save our kingdom – and Hyrule, too, not that any of you would ever notice – but the power of the Four Sword was too much. It split me into four different parts.” Four put one hand on the center of his chest, palm flat. “Only with years of practice have I been able to maintain a single self, but it’s… tenuous. I would never survive the trials to obtain the mask.”_

_“So it’s not just about ‘saving the kingdom,’” I said dryly._

_Four sighed. “No, you’re right. It’s not. I want you to break the curse on me, if you can. But saving the kingdom comes first,” he added hastily._

_I nodded and told Four I’d do it. I_ did _have a duty to save the kingdom, after all. And I had my own selfish motivations._

Wild had just finished the entry when there was a sharp knock at the door. He jumped and was shocked to see that it was already morning again. He’d gotten so caught up reading that he hadn’t noticed.

“Coming! One second!” he called, and hastily hid the journals in a drawer. He pulled on a new tunic, threw his hair back in a ponytail to hide how greasy it had to be, and rushed to the door. His guard(s) stood outside – Warriors, self-assured as always, Wind trying hard to match his poise but failing to hide his grin.

“Oh, hey guys...” Wild said.

“What, forget we were coming?” Warriors laughed. Wild hesitantly joined in.

“Yeah, just… got caught up in something. Let’s go.”

The journey to the castle was uneventful, Wind chattering enthusiastically about his sword training. They entire _day_ was uneventful; no strange letters, no surprise attacks, no mysterious palatial intrigue. He even attended a meeting with the princes that was, again, _uneventful._ Hyrule waved as he walked in and passed him an agenda. As the discussion wore on, Wild couldn’t stop thinking about Time’s journal. It was like a really engaging book, except that this was reality. A reality with very freighting consequences. He happened to catch Sky’s eye and the prince smiled briefly at him, then returned to his discussion on the mining of pearls from the Zora domain. An adviser was arguing for it passionately, but Sky wouldn’t move forward with the project until they had conducted a thorough assessment of the impact on the local reefs. Legend had leaned his chair back on two legs and was pretending not to pay attention, though he’d occasionally comment to correct the adviser on the proper methods of mitigating marine toxicities. The prince was full of useful esoteric knowledge. Wild suppressed a smile – Time was right, with them in the lead, the kingdom would be in good hands. He jumped when a hand fell on his shoulder.

“Wild? You all right? We’ve been trying to get your attention,” It was Hyrule, smiling gently.

“Oh, no, I’m fine! Just… spaced out there for a second,” Wild gave his best smile.

Hyrule looked at him doubtfully. “You look exhausted. We just have a quick question about how Hateno has managed some of its resources. Why don’t you go home after that?”

* * *

Wild decided to detail back to the lake to update Twilight on the latest journal updates instead of going straight home. He shouldn’t have been surprised when he wasn’t there, but still, he felt a twinge of disappointment. It’s not like Twilight could just hang out and fish all day, he had to work _sometime…_ Wild thought for a moment. It had been awhile, but he could find his way back to the stables, right?

A short time and a few hopped fences later, Wild had found the stables. A gentle melody greeted him as he arrived. Twilight was sitting on a bench outside, humming and whistling a tune on the grass with his eyes closed.

“Twilight! Hey, Twilight? Hello?” Wild gently waved his hand in Twilight’s face when he didn’t respond. He slowly opened his eyes and focused on Wild.

“Oh! Wild! What in Hylia’s…” Twilight tossed the grass to the ground and stood. “What’re you doing here? I’m surprised you knew where I’d be.”

Wild laughed and gave a shrug. “I guessed you’d be working, although it doesn’t look like you’re terribly busy,” he gestured at the empty yard.

Twilight smiled. “Yeah, most people come in the early mornings to get their horses, or arrive in the night. Not too much going on here right now. Not a lot of people ride in the heat of the day.” He frowned. “What _are_ you doing here?”

“I have some updates on the uh, ‘book.’ Is there somewhere we can talk?” Wild eyed the courtyard. It was empty, but you never knew who was watching.

“Yeah, I’ll take you to my quarters. No one’s supposed to get in ‘til later. Come on,” Twilight led Wild around the back of the stables to a small shack. He unlocked the door and gestured Wild to sit at one of the wooden chairs arranged around the table. “Do you want some tea? Sorry it’s small. I’m sure you’re used to something much nicer.”

“No, it’s nice. Very cozy. Reminds me of home.” Wild smiled as he looked around. The shack was small, but homey. The rough wooden furniture was covered in soft, worn blankets. Everything was old but meticulously well kept.

“So… what did you find out?” Twilight asked. Wild filled him in while Twilight bustled around preparing the tea. He couldn’t help but notice Twilight jerk when he brought up Four’s story. Twilight cursed and grabbed a cloth to clean up the spill.

Twilight was silent as Wild finished. Wild waited while he poured the tea a _little_ too carefully. Wild finally said impatiently, “Okay, you’re stalling. What is it?”

“What?” Twilight asked. “What do you mean?”

Wild leaned back and crossed his arms. “Something about that got to you, I can tell. And don’t lie to me and say it’s nothing,” he added.

Twilight nodded. He sat carefully across the table from Wild, staring down at his tea. Finally he spoke. “Okay. Yeah. You’re right. I have something to tell you.” Twilight sighed and ran a hand though his hair. “Yeah, okay. It’s… I’m… Well, I’m like Four. I’m cursed.”

Wild blinked. “So you’re like, one of those little mouse people?”

“No!” Twilight snorted. “No, no I’m not, though it’s kinda weird to know there’s a whole little world watching us while we –“ He inhaled sharply, and lowered his voice to a whisper. “You don’t think… right now… ?”

Wild shrugged. “Probably? Got any mouse traps?” Twilight laughed. Wild waved a hand at him. “Go on. You’re distracting me. So you’re not one of the little mouse people. What happened?”

“You’re not going to let me get out of this, are you?” Twilight grumbled.

“Nope,” Wild grinned. “After all, _what are friends for?_ ”

Twilight rolled his eyes. “Using my own words against me. Thanks.” He was silent again for several long moments, staring intensely into his tea. “Here goes. Right… Do you ever feel… a strange sadness as the dusk falls?”

“No?” said Wild.

Twilight shrugged. “They say it’s the only time their world connects with ours.”

“Who? What are you talking about?”

“The Twili. That’s who got me into trouble. That, and a beautiful woman.” Twilight smiled sadly. “I think I told you, I’m from the west, from Ordon. It’s a small village, but we’re known for our goats and our cheese. That’s what I did before this, worked on the farm.

“I always knew there was more out there, but I’d never really left our village. I used to go hunting in the woods, though, and that’s when I found the mirror.”

“A mirror? In the woods?” Wild asked doubtfully.

Twilight nodded. “I’d been chasing a buck, and lost track of it, but I came across an old temple, or shrine, or something. I was looking for valuable stuff to sell when I came across the mirror. I set it upright and looked and there was – something else. It was like the temple I was in, only unbroken. More than that – it was beautiful. Everything was black and gold and lit by this strange orange light.

“I couldn’t look away, and then I heard this voice.” Here Twilight paused, then gave a short laugh. “It was her. That was the first time I talked to her. I’m pretty sure she called me stupid, or something mean. She was always like that.”

“Who?” Wild asked.

“Mm. I didn’t know at first. When we first met, she was so small… a black and white imp, something not of this world. We talked for a long time. She asked me all these questions about who I was, what I did, what my world was like. A simple goat herder, and she wanted to know everything about me… suddenly we’d been talking for hours, and I had to get on home. But I told her I’d come back, and I did. That night, and the next, and the next. Every night I’d sneak out to the shrine and talk to her until the sun rose the next morning.

“Eventually she told me who she was. Midna, the princess of another _world_ , Wild, the Twilight realm. A whole kingdom, just like Hyrule, right on the other side of that mirror. Things were troubled, she said. The king, her father, had just died, and she was fighting with his adviser for a throne that should have been rightfully hers. But she told me not to worry, because he was ‘a stupid idiot and she’d crush his stupid rebellion.’

“She was funny, and… cute, and kind of mean sometimes, but she never meant it, and I…” Twilight blushed scarlet. “I fell in love with her.”

“You? In love? Really?” Wild meant it teasingly, but he saw how sincere Twilight was. “Yeah.”

“I should have known better. I noticed that when the sun was setting, the mirror looked… soft. Like the surface of water, where you could put your hand right through it. Midna warned me not to. She said humans can’t survive it. But… one day I went to the mirror, and she wasn’t there. The next day, too. It was dark on her side, and I could see everything was smashed up, and I _had_ to know, Wild, I had to know if something happened to her –“ Twilight swallowed and gripped his tea so hard that Wild thought the cup might break.

“The next night, I went to the mirror at sunset. I put my hand to the glass and it went right through. The glass rippled around it. I took a breath and went through all the way. It was _amazing,_ Wild. Everything was lit up with that yellow light, but it was dark, too, somehow. I turned, and there she was.

“In the Twili realm Midna was different. She was beautiful, Wild. Almost human, even. I … I can’t even begin to describe her. But she just shook her head when she saw me. _I told you not to do this, you stupid idiot. You have to get out of here before he –‘_ I saw she was crying and moved towards her. _I’m sorry._

“I heard him before I saw him. Zant, the tyrant. And there he was, on the throne. He’d won. And I knew he'd kill her. I wanted to do something, I mean, I knew how to fight, but suddenly – I couldn’t move. I saw Midna’s face. She knew this would happen. I looked down at my hands and they were _changing –_ It was like my entire body was on fire.“ Twilight shivered. “Her voice was the last thing I heard. I woke up on my side like nothing had happened. The mirror was gone.

“But the light’s still in me, Wild. The Twilight. Every time I shut my eyes, it’s always the same.” Twilight stared at his empty cup, forlorn. “That’s it, Wild. The light’s inside me, and it’s winning. It’s worst at dusk; it’s like I’m not even here. Eventually, that’s the only place my mind will be. ” Twilight sighed. “I shouldn’t have gone. It’s not like I could have _done_ anything, and Midna’s probably –“

“Oh, come on Twilight, _now_ who’s wallowing in self-pity?” Wild interrupted. Twilight looked shocked. “You did what you thought was right. But I’m sorry that happened.”

“Thanks,” Twilight nodded.

“So… is that why you’re here in Hyrule? Do you think the thing Time was looking for can help you?”

“I think so. That’s what he said the last time I saw him. You know, I met him the same way I met you, without the splashing,” Twilight barked a laugh. “He’d come by just to talk. I think he was lonely. I mean, I was too… but he said he was looking for something to help his wife. He talked about her all the time, I didn’t know she was dead…” He paused. “A part of me kind of hoped, after all this was over, I could just go back with him, live on their farm… be part of their family, I guess” Twilight wiped at his eyes.

“I’m sorry we lost him,” Wild said gently. “And he knew about your curse?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said. “That’s why I told you to ask me first. I’d rather you found out from me.”

“I get that. Thanks for sharing,” Wild said. Twilight nodded. “It’s… starting to get dark. Are you going to be okay?”

“I’m used to it. Besides, I’d rather you not see me like this,” Twilight said with a tired smile.

“If you’re sure,” Wild said, and Twilight nodded. “I’ll keep looking at Time’s journals. There has to be something in there that can help you.”

“Thanks, Wild. And… be careful out there, okay?”

“I will,” Wild ducked out and closed the door quietly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely think Time's the type to write these long, overwrought, embarrassing love letters (I'm thinking of that comic about the ring, ha ha).
> 
> Twilight's 'curse' is heavily influenced by Sunshine (2007), which, despite being only okay at best, has managed to stick in my head for 10+ years. [The theme's a good listen if you haven't heard it before. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab3NscEJ80s)
> 
> Hope your holidays have treated you well. Feedback is the best present ;) 
> 
> Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another lengthy one... here we go!

_I’ve done everything Four's asked, Malon. And he was right. It’s driving me mad._

_The trials themselves were simple; tests of physical strength and skill, such as using Deku flowers to fly – do you remember when we used to do that as kids? Will you even remember our life when you come back? Will you still be ‘you?’ Four says this_ thing _will give its bearer anything they desire, but I don’t know, Malon, the more I learn about it the less certain I am. Can something with that power really be… right? Will_ you _come back right?_

_I don’t know. I don’t know. But I’ve come so far already. Sacrificed so much. I can’t stop now._

_Deku flowers: Four handed me the mask and said it was magic. That it would_ temporarily _turn me into a deku, I could take it off and I would change right back. But what he didn’t tell me was_ how _the mask did that._

_Magic always has a cost._

_T_ _here’s souls in the masks, Malon. People. In this case, a child._ That’s _how they get their power. I could feel the spirit of that little boy, a deku who died far, far too young. No - not died,_ killed. _Intentionally. By the kingdom of Hyrule, to lay claim to this power._

_So sad, Malon, he’s so sad… dad didn’t save us. Why didn’t he come?_

_I finished the task. I took the mask off. I turned back. but he’s still there. It’s the same with the others… the Goron, proud, but all I have left of him is regret… the bravery and anger of that Zora warrior, who stood alone against the kingdom to protect his children, but still, they took him … and his eggs, too. Their boundless sorrow came rushing inside me, and it never left._

_Four was horrified when I told him; I thought that carefully curated façade of his might split right in half. He kept talking about "dark magic," and I had the sense that its use_ _upset him the most, though who am I to say. After a time, he calmed and faced me squarely._

_“You understand, Time, why we have to do this? We can’t let this go on.”_

_“Yes,” I said. But I wasn't thinking about them. I was thinking of you._

_Malon, of_ course _I know what the right thing to do is. I can’t let this go on. The evils of the kingdom are bigger than me. But I want you back. Is it so wrong to be selfish? There’s no reason I can’t do both… right?_

_Well. Tomorrow is the last one. "It" lies just beyond those doors. Whatever happens, I’ll see you at the end._

_Love, Time_

* * *

“... What did he tell you?”

“What?”

“When he gave you these journals, what did he say?”

Twilight paused, put off by Wild’s intensity. They were at their usual place, but after _that_ entry there was no use in even pretending to fish. Wild pressed on. “He clearly trusted you enough to leave it with you. These are literally his last words. He really didn’t say anything, uh, _noteworthy_ about what he was planning? Like what this magic thing is?”

Twilight shook his head. “Nope. I remember he was unusually serious – I mean, he was _always_ serious, but he was extra serious this time. He said he was going on the 'most important mission of his life,' and if he succeeded, everything would be okay again. But if he didn’t come back, I should keep hold of his journals, and _only_ give them to his successor, 'cause ‘you can’t trust anyone in this damned castle.’

“He didn’t say anything about the ocarina, though. Or give it to me.”

“Right.” Wild remembered how the ocarina had been carelessly tossed in a drawer. “I think he was angry. With the ocarina, I mean. Once he figured out it couldn’t help him.”

“Yeah. So he turned to something _worse._ ” Twilight shivered. “I honestly hope he’s dead, Wild. I can’t imagine being turned into one of those things.”

Wild grimaced. “Me too.” He paused. “Twi, I … don’t think we can do this alone. I want to talk to Sky about it.”

Twilight frowned. “You sure that’s a good idea?”

“I mean, we’re literally betting the future of the kingdom on him being less of a bloodthirsty bastard than Rhoam, so yes, Twilight, I think he should know,” Wild shot back.

“I mean, it’s your mission,” Twilight shrugged, but his expression was serious. “Just be careful. You show someone that kind of power… you find out who they really are.”

“I know,” Wild said. _Better than anyone, I know._

* * *

“Wild? Hey, Wild!”

“Huh?” Wild looked up from where he had been engulfed by large, precariously-stacked piles of paper. Avoiding his duties might have been a bad idea. Now that he was behind, it would take him _days_ to catch up. _It's not like this even matters,_ he thought, _considering_ _the fate of the kingdom is at stake._

“The prince is ready to see you,” Warriors motioned towards the hall even as he leaned casually in the door frame.

“What, right _now?_ "

“Yeah, that’s what the messengers said. You’re the one who wanted an appointment ASAP. Come on, you don't want to keep the prince waiting.”

Wild found himself shuffled into the throne room. It was no less intimidating than the first time, he thought as the golden doors closed portentously behind him. At the noise, the Prince Sky looked up from the maps he was consulting, eyebrows raised. “Hey, Wild. Is there something I can help you with? What’s so urgent?”

Wild cleared his throat, but the words wouldn’t come. Twilight was right, he really _didn’t_ know how Sky would react, or if he’d even believe him. He should have gone to Hyrule with this first, he probably came off as some sycophant who’d say _anything_ to get his good name back –

“Wild?” Sky prodded with a gentle smile. But as he set down the maps, they both stiffened. Wild glanced around him, uncertain. It was as though the air in the room had gown cold.

“Something’s not right,” Sky murmured, stepping away from the table and drawing his sword. The legendary Master Sword shone in his hand, and Wild found himself mesmerized by its ethereal glow. _Is_ that _what Time was looking for? But he’d have to kill the prince to get it…_

There was a sudden movement to his right. Wild whirled, but he was defenseless – by law, no one could have weapons in the throne room save the prince himself. There was nothing he could do but steel himself for the pain. “Wild! Watch out!” the prince cried, but the twin blades that emerged from nothing weren’t meant for Wild, of course. Who was he, a simple soldier from the province in comparison to the crown prince of Hyrule?

Wild flinched as warmth splattered his face. He tried to ignore the red that soaked into his clothes – _tried to ignore the memories bubbling to the surface at the sight of it –_ and bounded to the dais, where Sky had already fallen. The Gerudo (and it was _their_ ambassador, right? It had to be) launched herself away out of reach, swords stained.

Wild snatched the Master Sword from where it had fallen, landing between her and the prince. He didn’t have time to dwell that this was the _Master Sword,_ the Blade of Evil’s Bane. It fit in his hand like any other blade.

“There wasn’t supposed to be anyone in here,” the Gerudo ambassador said ruefully. “The Prince _always_ spends this time alone. You must have had something important, hmm?

"To be honest, I’m surprised that you’d choose to help the royals _._ You’re not one of them either; you know how Hyrule treats its outsiders. Have you heard the legends of the Gerudo, Wild? How once every hundred years, a man is born, destined to be our king?”

Wild nodded carefully.

“Well, that man’s time has come. That age is upon us. But _Hyrule’s_ king, _your_ king, chose to kill him. Ganondorf, the Dark Lord. His arrival could have freed us from the tyranny of your rule,” she hissed, and now Wild could see rage building in her eyes, “but _Rhoam_ killed him. A _child.”_

“You don’t understand,” Wild said softly, risking a glance behind him at Sky. The prince’s blood was seeping into the sailcloth that he always wore, red slowly devouring the blue emblem of the royal family. “But Sky – we need him. Whatever the king’s done, Sky will fix it, he’ll do better –“

The Gerudo woman laughed lightly. “How naïve of you to believe that.”

Wild shook his head. “You know this will lead to war, right? This is the only excuse the king needs. He’ll come after you. Please,” he said, “Let me help him.”

“It’s too late for that.” Her smiled vanished. “The rebellion has started, Ambassador Wild. This kingdom you’ve chosen with is killing us. It takes what it wants from the provinces and leaves them ruined... even your own. Just think about how things would have turned out if you’d had a _real_ army at your back, instead of being left to defend the border all by yourself. Just think of who would be… _alive.”_

“You leave her out of this,” Wild growled.

She shrugged. “You still have a choice. Join us. Join the rebellion.”

Wild glanced back at Sky. He didn’t deserve this. Neither did Hyrule or Zelda. Not even Legend, who only wanted the best for Sky. And there was Twilight, and Time, too, whatever fate had befallen him.

“No,” he said. “Things will change. They’re not like the king. No.”

“It’s your loss,” she said, and then raised an eyebrow. “Well, well, it sounds like this might not be on my head after all. I hope you don’t live to regret your choice.” Wild shielded his eyes as the Gerudo ambassador vanished in a flash of light and smoke.

Wild lunged after her but stopped short when he heard voices from outside the chamber. He turned as the door opened and both princes burst in, followed closely by Warriors.

“Sky! We were alerted, there’s fighting in the streets, the palace isn’t safe –“ Legend stopped short as he took in the scene. His eyes grew wide as they traced a line from the bloody prince on the ground to Wild, standing over top him with Master Sword in hand. “What – you - _Sky_ _…”_

“No, Legend, stop –!“ Hyrule made a grab for the prince’s shoulder, but he was already storming forward. “You son of a _bitch_ , what did you _do_ – “ Legend snarled as a he yanked a staff from his belt. Wild backed away as the gem embedded in its head began to glow a deep red. Without warning, a torrent of flame burst forth. Wild rolled aside, but the flames followed where he went, and he was forced backwards across the room as Legend raged forward, wreathed by fire.

Wild cursed and instinctively blocked the oncoming rush. The legendary powers of the Master Sword shone true and the flames were reflected back at Legend, who returned them with renewed intensity. The two stood locked in a fiery standstill.

“Legend, stop, it wasn’t _me_ ,” Wild grunted as he slowly pushed forward against the blaze. Legend’s face was an impassioned mask of rage as he muttered an incantation and the torrent surged again, forcing Wild back. “You have to _help him –_ “

“Legend, _stop!_ Please! He’s still alive!” Hyrule shouted from where he crouched next to the prince, already drawing a potion from his belt. “Wild wouldn’t do this!”

Legend startled and his concentration faltered. He cursed as Wild’s reflected flames overpowered his own and barely managed to drop to the ground and avoid them. Behind him, the walls blazed.

The Master Sword clattered to the floor as Wild held up his hands in a gesture of peace. “Prince Legend, I swear, I didn’t do this. It was –“ He was interrupted by Legend’s shout.

“You!” he snarled at Warriors, who was already moving forward, weapon ready. “If I can’t _kill_ him, arrest him! Take him down to the dungeon! Do _something_ , instead of standing there being useless!”

Wild remained very still as he approached, hands still outstretched. “Warriors,” he said carefully, “Warriors, you _know_ I wouldn’t do this. You _know_ me…”

Warriors’ face remained expressionless. Wild almost thought he could see a glimmer of remorse, but that hope died as Warriors clicked shut the shackles without hesitation. “An order’s an order, Ambassador,” he said stiffly as he led him out of the throne room.

Wild twisted to look back over his shoulder. Hyrule was bent over Sky, already bloodied as he unstoppered potion after potion. Legend stood alone in the middle of the burning room, eyes blazing with hatred as he watched Wild depart.

* * *

_“Shit.”_

Wild cursed as he paced back and forth in his cell. _Oh, you’ve really done it_ this _time,_ he thought angrily. Had he been set up? Or was it a case of “wrong place, wrong time?” Either way, there was no denying he’d really landed himself in trouble. Clearly, Legend already thought him guilty, and he knew once he’d made up his mind there was no changing it. Not that Wild could _entirely_ blame Legend for his reaction when he saw Sky on the ground – that sickening _lurch_ seeing one of your loved ones hurt, as though falling from a great height, your extremities gone numb.

Wild jerked himself away from _that_ reverie and back to reality. There was no use dwelling on the past when the present was so dire. He took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against the bars, allowing their icy chill to calm him. _Okay._ _Think about this rationally._

Whatever the setup, Sky was probably dead. Legend wanted _him_ dead. But Hyrule… Wild was thankful for the relationship they’d built, and for the Prince’s kind heart. Hyrule would see through this. He could talk to Legend and calm him down, right? Otherwise...

There was a whisper down the corridor. Startled, Wild jerked back from the bars to see that a young boy had appeared before him. No – he took in the stitched kaleidoscopic tunic, the severe blond hair – no, not a boy at all…

“Four,” he whispered.

If Four was surprised, he didn’t show it. “Wild,” he replied simply. “I was beginning to think I’d never hear from you.”

“What do you mean?” Wild asked, but as he spoke he spied the ornate gold stitching on Four’s clothing. Birds. “Oh. The letter. It was you.”

Four nodded. “You never used the instrument, so I inferred you weren’t’ interested.” Seeing Wild’s confusion, he continued. “The song. I wrote it to transport you to a secret room in the castle. That’s the only way in, unless, of course, you’re as small as me,” he grinned.

Wild’s ears reddened with embarrassment. “I, uh… don’t know how to play. I tried, but I couldn’t get it to work,” he muttered.

Four laughed. “Wow, they really don’t teach you _anything_ about the arts in Hateno, do they? I should have guessed with how _that_ province handles–“

“Shut up,” Wild muttered.

Four shrugged and continued. “But I hear you have Time’s journals. You _must_ be interested in knowing what happened.”

Wild straightened. “Yes. The last one ends before some ‘final trial.’ What happened? Were you there?” He paused. “Did you know… about the masks?”

“No, absolutely, not.” Four grimaced. “I knew the kings of Hyrule worshiped dark magic, but this? That _souls_ were sealed in the masks? I feel dirtied having touched them.”

“So you made Time do it for you.”

“You’ve read the journals. You know why I can’t. Besides, it was his choice. Just like it’s _your_ choice whether or not to continue where he started.”

“What?” Wild frowned.

Four leaned forward into the bars. “Look, you already know I can’t take that on my own. I need your help, Wild. You agree to finish this,” he gestured, “and I’ll get you out of here.”

“I-“ Wild started, but they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps hastily coming down the hall towards his cell. Four gave him a nod and vanished abruptly. 

“Wild!” Hyrule’s voice echoed down the hall as he ran to the cell. “Wild, are you okay?”

Wild blinked. “Me? What about Sky? Is he…” he swallowed back the sudden lump, “Is he alive?”

“Barely. I stabilized him with a potion just in time. Any later, and we…” Hyrule cleared his throat and covered his eyes with a hand. “Wild, I don’t know what we’re going to do if we lose him. Legend and I… we… we aren’t cut out for this kind of stuff.”

Wild grasped the bars tightly as he spoke. “Hyrule. Listen to me. I’ve _heard_ what they say about you. You killed the demon king with nothing but your own hands! You’re not just a simple traveler like you say. You’ve got the wiles to accomplish whatever you want to. Even if it’s a little ... unconventional."

Hyrule laughed. “Thanks, Wild. You always know what to say. And sorry. The irony of you, the prisoner, comforting _me_ , the prince...” He laughed bitterly and wiped at his eyes with a sleeve. Hyrule then straightened, suddenly serious. “Tell me what happened.”

“You know I didn’t – “

“I _know_ you didn’t do it, Wild, otherwise I wouldn’t be here.” Hyrule stared at him intently through the bars. “Besides. The Master Sword would never have permitted you to wield her if your heart was impure.”

“Good to know…” Wild detailed the attempted assassination. Hyrule paced back and forth before the cell while he spoke, shaking his head.

“I knew the Gerudo king of legend had been born, but I didn’t think Rhoam would go _that_ far,” Hyrule said when Wild had finished. “Not yet. He was just a baby… Rhoam must have really thought he'd be a threat. He should have expected retaliation.

“But she was wrong about one thing, Wild. The king doesn’t blame the Gerudo for this, he blames _you_. And he’s got Legend convinced, too.” Hyrule groaned in frustration. “Legend _hates_ the king, but he’s so upset, he wants _someone_ punished. Normally he’d listen to me, but the king’s taking advantage of the situation. He just needs time to calm down… But time isn't something we have.”

Hyrule stepped away from the cell. “They’re going to miss me in court. Is there _anything_ else you can tell me that will help?”

Wild thought briefly of an entire kingdom, invisible to the human eye. Of all powerful magic that could grant any wish. “No,” he said.

Hyrule nodded grimly. “I’ll do my best, Wild. I won’t let them execute you. But you should know,” he stepped closer to the bars and spoke softly. “There’s fighting in the streets. The Gerudo, Goron, Zora, and Deku have allied in rebellion to overthrow the king. Hylia knows that man deserves it. Thankfully, Zelda is safe…

“But if they breach the castle, I don’t know what they’ll do to you. I’m sorry.”

Wild nodded. “I understand. I hope you helping me won’t land you in trouble.”

“You know me – I’ll find a way out of it,” Hyrule grinned. “Don’t worry, Wild. I’ll be back soon.” He was gone down the hall before Wild could say thank you.

Wild shivered in the chill of the dungeon. Assassination. Rebellion. And dark magic that would cement the king’s rule for eternity.

Four's voice came suddenly from the silence, startling Wild from his thoughts. “Well, that was interesting. You know, I'd heard the whispers. Rumors of weapons moved in the night, but I didn’t think they’d really go through with it. I guess making Ganondorf into a martyr was the push they needed…” he mused.

“I’ll help you.”

Four blinked. “Wow. I didn’t expect you to agree so quickly. Especially not after the prince himself came down here promising to rescue you.”

Wild shrugged. “The rebels… they’re not all wrong. We can’t let Rhoam get that power. And maybe we can stop this before it goes too far. Save Sky. Save the kingdom.” _Save myself,_ he thought.

Four grinned. “Great. Give me a second – I’m going to get in there and flip the lock,” he said, and disappeared again. Wild waited impatiently as the lock made various clicking and twisting noises, until finally it popped open and the door swing free. He cautiously stepped out as Four reappeared in front of him.

“Okay, here’s what you’re going to do.” Four said. “You don’t have the Ocarina, otherwise they’d have taken it from you. Is it in your house?” Wild nodded. “Good. Get there, play the song I sent you, and it will transport you to the chamber I mentioned earlier.”

“But I don’t –“ Wild started, but Four waved him off.

“I don’t care _how_ you get it done, just figure out how to play the song and get back here. Honestly, they’re children’s toys, anyone should know how to do it. Here, you can get out here if you go to _this_ cell,” he led Wild down the corridor to a musty, unused corner of the dungeon, “and touch these stones here, like this, and – there you go. This drops into the moat. It won’t be pretty, but you can swim to the shore pretty quickly. I can’t leave the castle, so I’ll meet you there. Go! We don’t have much time.”

Wild nodded. He took a deep breath and jumped into the black water without hesitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is actually just me processing Majora's Mask. I recently completed it for the first time and wow, had I played that as a kid I'd be terrified! Probably one of my best gaming experiences and a fantastic example of gaming as a storytelling medium. Oh, and here's a Nintendo employee cheerfully saying why when Link puts the transformation masks on, ["the urge to scream is quite understandable, really."](https://kotaku.com/why-does-link-cry-in-majoras-mask-its-pretty-dark-1692276196) Thanks, Nintendo...
> 
> I tried to make the Zora from MM a little more serious, because having a rockstar-surfer-fish trapped in your head for all eternity doesn't exactly fit the mood I'm going for, haha.
> 
> Your feedback is welcomed! I hope the new year is treating you well.


	8. Chapter 8

Wild surfaced with a gasp, gagging as he spit out the oily water. He kept his head low as he cut silently through the castle moat, hoping to Hylia that no one saw him and ended this before it even started.

When he got to the shore, he realized he needn’t have worried. Though night had fallen while he’d waited in the cell, the city was lit up like it was mid-day. Buildings burned before him. People ran shouting through the streets, turning to slash at one another before being cut down themselves. Wild saw Zora fighting Zora, Gorons smashing at each other with their great fists, and even Gerudo warriors circling each other warily. It seemed not everyone agreed with the idea of rebellion.

It was chaos. A perfect cover for him to slip through undetected.

Wild shook his hair dry and crept onto shore, moving silently past the warring factions. Instincts from years of training took over; he dodged swords and errant projectiles with ease, launched himself over barricades and burning debris, and passed unseen through the crowds. He only paused when he came to a large intersection. It was hard to tell if he was heading in the right direction with all the fires and smoke filling the air. Wild could only hope that his house was still standing and that the ocarina was safe; otherwise, he’d be stranded out here. He’d heard cries that the guards had locked the gates to the city. Everyone was trapped inside.

He felt, more than heard, the shout to his right and dropped to the ground without thinking. _Something_ rushed above his head to embed itself in the wall behind him. He glanced up; a fin. Wild sighed. _Not again._ He didn’t have time to deal with the Zora, not right now –

He leapt to his feet and turned to one of the Zora from before, as expected. But he wasn’t alone. With him was a group of familiar faces: Daruk, the Goron ambassador, _his friend_ , Deku employees from the palace, Rito, and even Korok. He wasn’t sure what use _Korok_ were in a fight, but it was better not to ask.

“What do you want?” Wild asked. He scanned the area around him as he spoke. He was still unarmed, but that didn’t mean he was helpless. He’d take a page out of Hyrule’s book and _improvise._

“You _know_ what we want, Wild,” Daruk’s huge grin was meant to be encouraging, but his hands were wrapped tightly around his sword. Wild couldn’t help but notice it was bigger than _he_ was. “Everybody in the whole palace’s heard tales about that instrument. Time had it before his disappeared, and we know he didn’t take it with him. He _must_ ’ _ve_ handed it over to you.”

The entire group moved towards him slowly, all smiles. Except the Zora warrior, who remained where he was, eyes black with anger. Yep, it was definitely the one from before.

Wild eyed the scene around them, careful not to make it too obvious. The square behind him was wide open, but the group was coming out of an alleyway. And there, right above…

“He’s not listening! Let’s take him out!” a tiny voice cried. The Korok. Yikes. Apparently they were more bloodthirsty than that cute face let on.

Wild didn’t wait for the group to decide; instead, he hurtled forward, causing everyone to shout and grab for their weapons. At the last second he impelled himself upwards, bouncing off of Daruk’s head to kick at the burning sign above them. Part of the building fell with a crash, and there were shouts and screams as he buried them in chunks of burning wood and flame. Wild fell gracefully to the ground and rolled away from the chaos into the square.

He ran. Wild tried his best to keep his bearings, but he was constantly being re-routed by collapsed buildings or angry groups with torches and swords. He darted through a crowd into an alleyway. He had to be close now.

Wild abruptly pulled up short and dodged to the side. An arrow stuck in the ground where he had stood moments before. Wild swore as he ducked to avoid another barrage. What now?

Ah. The Rito. They must have followed him through the air and finally pinned him down, he thought. There were two of them, each positioned at one end of the alley, catching him in the middle of their trap. Wild readied himself; he knew there was no talking his way out of this one. His best hope was to evade until they ran out of arrows, and then take them out in hand-to-hand combat. Or find something to throw at them. There were still options. He might make it out of this yet.

A guttural snarl interrupted his thoughts. The Rito to his left screamed as something flew off the roof nearby and dragged it to the ground. Wild didn’t waste time figuring out what _t_ _hat_ was and threw himself at the other bird, taking advantage of their horrified distraction. He grabbed their feet and hurled them bodily into the wall beside him. The Rito crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Wild scooped up their bow and remaining arrows and ran to the commotion at the other end of the alley.

It was a grisly scene, the walls painted with the dead Rito’s blood. A beast lifted its head from the body and began prowling towards him, leaving bloody prints in its wake. Not any beast – that wolf from before, and Wild wasn’t so sure it was friendly this time. He backed away, then notched an arrow as it continued to creep forward. At that, it paused and wagged its tail in an attempt to be friendly way that was at odds with the gore covering its face.

“Why are you helping me again? What are you?” Wild hissed. The wolf sat back and cocked its head, tail still thumping the ground. Wild sighed and lowered his bow.

“Whatever,” he growled. “I’ll take any help I can get. Come on.” Wild ran down the alley. The wolf followed closely behind.

* * *

At last, they arrived at his house. Surprisingly, it was still standing, though the houses around it were already gone. Wild chalked it up to the wards Warriors had had set up for him, though they’d clearly reached their limit and fizzled out as he opened the door. He glanced cautiously inside. Empty. Wild turned back to the street but the wolf had vanished, as always.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Wild stepped into his house. The place had clearly been ransacked; was it people searching for the ocarina? Looting? He wasn’t sure, but amazingly, the instrument remained safe in the back of the drawer where he’d carelessly thrown it before. Wild dusted the ocarina off and tried to recall the song Four had sent him, but he still couldn’t get a sound out of it. He cursed loudly. To come this far and fail from a lack of musical talent! It was almost laughable.

A noise at the door startled him. Wild had an arrow aimed at the door before he could even think. “Don’t move,” he snarled, but it was – Twilight?

“What the hell? What are you doing here? And – is that blood? Are you hurt?” The questions rushed out of him, he was so relieved to see a friendly face. Well. One that wasn’t that damned animal.

“Yeah, yeah, it is. Not mine, though,” Twilight said, absently wiping at the fresh gore covering the front of his tunic, staring blankly at the arrow fixed on him. After a too-long pause, Wild lowered his bow. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and continued. “The stables burned down. But I heard you were arrested, so I was ... surprised to find you out here,” he paused.

“It’s a long story. There’s no time,” Wild said, staring distractedly at the ocarina in his hand. He looked up at Twilight sharply. “Hey, you know how to play one of these, right?”

“Yeah, but I don’t see how – “

“I need you to play this song _now._ Please,” Wild added as he shoved the ocarina into Twilight’s hands.

“Okay.” Twilight listened intently as Wild hummed Four’s song. His fingers moved silently on the instrument for a few moments before he began to play. The ocarina transformed a simple tune into a lilting procession. Wild and Twilight stood silently as the last few notes faded, heedless of the ash and destruction around them. For a moment, there was peace.

White wings burst forth abruptly from nothing. Wild could see the terror in Twilight’s eyes as they unfurled, stretching from wall to wall. “Wild- what did I _do –_ “ Twilight choked as the wings then closed in on them both. Wild grabbed Twilight’s arm as the wings began to spin inward, quickly coalescing into a solid wall of feathers. “Trust me,” he said as they disappeared in a brilliant burst of white light. Shimmering, ethereal feathers fell lazily to the ground where they had stood and slowly faded away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, here we are! By the end of MM, I was so tired of hearing the song of soaring. It's easy to remember but not particularly pretty.
> 
> Your comments are appreciated. Thanks!
> 
> Updated July 2020: fixed that I kept calling the Rito "Ruto" throughout this chapter. Those are definitely not the same!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short(er) chapter, but the end gradually approaches!

A dark corner deep within the palace suddenly lit up with a brilliant white light. Feathers sprayed around the dungeon as Wild and Twilight fell out, gasping. The light was gone just as soon as it had appeared, leaving them in complete darkness.

“Wild,” he heard Twilight pant from nearby, “What the hell _was that?_ ”

“I don’t know,” he said, carefully picking his way over the uneven ground and helping Twilight to his feet, “but it got us here safe, didn’t it?” He could tell Twilight was rolling his eyes and laughed.

They crept through the dungeon, jumping as bats flew unexpectedly in their faces. The dungeon was otherwise silent except for the relentless drip of water on stone. Soon they could see a faint light ahead in the distance. Wild and Twilight nodded to each other and hurried ahead; whoever it was, it was better than this.

When they got close enough, the light revealed itself to be Four, who held a torch aloft as he hurried down the hall. “Wild!” he called. “Thank the goddesses, I was beginning to think you’d died out there.”

Wild laughed and patted the Ocarina attached to his belt. “It didn’t go quite as expected, but we made it here all right.”

Four stopped short as the torchlight exposed Twilight, who was pressed to the wall in the shadows behind Wild. “Who is this? Why did you bring him here?”

“It’s okay, Four, he’s a friend. He helped get me –“

“No.” Four said shortly. “He reeks of _dark magic_ , Wild, _why_ would you bring someone of evil force _here –“_

“Dark magic?” Wild frowned and turned to Twilight, “I don’t understand, you said – _evil_?“

“No, it’s not - not evil…” Twilight said quickly, then paused, eyes flashing to Four. “And who are you to cry foul, _spymaster?_ ”

“You messed with forces you shouldn’t have,” Four said softly. He took a slow step forward, intimidating despite his small stature. “Show him.”

“No – Wild, I swear –“ Twilight stuttered, eyes darting to Wild, who stood frozen.

“You lied to me,” Wild said furiously. “Show me.”

Twilight grimaced, caught between Wild and Four. “Fine,” he said, throwing Four one last glare before stepping back into the shadows. The darkness seemed to grow even blacker for a moment before something _different_ stepped back forward into the light.

It was the wolf. Wild cursed. “It was you, this _entire time?_ ” he shouted. “What the _hell,_ Twilight? This _whole time,_ going around behind my back, because _apparently_ you think I can’t handle myself? And what, you were following me?” He paused. “And how are you even doing this? What the hell is going on here?”

There was a burst of darkness and Twilight stood before him, human once more. “Look, Wild, I’m sorry. I told you about the curse, but I didn’t tell you the whole story. This is part of it,” he gestured at the black particles that were still slowly fading away. “The spymaster here isn’t wrong. I made a mistake.”

“Why did you lie to me?” Wild seethed. He crossed his arms and faced Twilight. Four remained where he was, looking annoyed at this delay.

“Because… “ Twilight hesitated at Wild’s expression. “Because I didn’t want to admit I messed up, okay? I didn’t want to face what my greed cost me.”

“What do you mean?” Despite his anger, Wild was curious. Behind him, Four tapped his foot anxiously.

“I wasn’t lying when I told you about the Twilight realm, and Zant, and – and Midna. The difference is,” Twilight said, “I caused it.

“I was arrogant. I wanted to be more than just a dumb farm boy. I wanted to be something worthy of _her._ They had tales of a powerful artifact, I guess their version of what we’re looking for here,” Twilight nodded at Four, who pretended to look disinterested. “They said only a great warrior could claim the Fused Shadow, and I guess… I thought that could be me.”

Twilight shrugged. “Long story short, I went into the Twilight World. And I _did_ find the Fused Shadow. But I couldn’t handle its power; it was too much for me. _Zant_ claimed it. And you know what? He _could_ handle it, and he used it to take over the Twilight Realm…

“I know she was disappointed. _I_ caused her kingdom to fall. I probably caused her death.” Twilight said morosely. “Zant cast me out of the Twilight Realm, and Wild, you already know the rest of the story. A part of my soul was left there. As long as the mirror between the worlds remains unbroken, more and more of it will be taken until, well, you know.”

“A mirror between worlds,” Four mused, interested despite himself.

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why you turn into – that,” Wild said, his anger softening.

“Right,” said Twilight. “When I woke up, that’s what I was. I guess… the human part of me was left behind. It took a long time to learn how to take the form of a person again.”

“Look, we don’t have time for this,” Four interjected. “We have a kingdom to save. We have to go.” He gestured at Wild, who nodded. When Twilight stepped forward too, Four held up a hand. “Not you.”

“He’s coming,” said Wild.

“Seriously?” Four’s frown deepened. “He uses dark magic. He lied to you. How do you know he won’t just try to take it for himself?”

“I … trust him.” Wild said, surprised at himself, and looked at Twilight from the corner of his eye. “He screwed up. Made a bad choice. But I trust him.”

Four looked between the two of them, conflicted. Finally, he threw up his hands and whirled to walk back down the direction he’d come from. “Fine. But when he betrays you again, it’s not on me.”

They followed cautiously down the hall after Four, hurrying to avoid the darkness behind him. “Wild... thanks,” Twilight whispered.

“I’m still mad at you,” Wild hissed back. “But… you saved my life.”

Twilight rubbed his chin. “I killed that Rito, Wild.”

“I know.”

“With my mouth.”

“Yeah, that was gross.”

* * *

The three of them hurtled through the dark recesses of the castle, avoiding small enemies, crawling over broken rubble, and sloshing through murky waist-deep water. To Wild and Twilight, the journey felt unending; it was clear that no one had been down here in a long, long time and the dark, dripping walls all looked the same. But Four led them on, never stumbling, or faltering, or hesitating. They had no choice but to follow. The time to turn back had long since passed.

Four abruptly slammed to a halt in the middle of another long, nondescript hall. “Here,” he said, placing one small hand on the wall. They could see a patch where the mold had been scraped away and was slowly growing back.

At Four’s touch a low rumble sounded through the hall. The stones fell away into nothing before them, revealing a low, sloped passage that ran deeper into the bowels of the castle. Four scurried forward without hesitation; after sharing a doubtful glance, Wild and Twilight followed. The stones sealed behind them.

Four led them on until they came to a simple wooden door set in the wall. Nothing ostentatious, nothing to suggest that the future of the kingdom rested behind its doors. Four paused and stared at them both before opening it. “There’s lots of dangerous stuff in here. Don’t touch anything unless I tell you to,” he said with a pointed gaze at Twilight, who huffed. Wild steeled his nerves as Four pushed the door open.

It was… inconsequential. Boring. The darkened room was filled with piles of magical refuse: broken bottles, masks, wooden chests whose lids were quietly rotting away. “ _This_ is where they keep the most powerful item in the kingdom? This is all junk,” Wild said, kicking away some torn maps that had fallen onto the floor.

“Security through obscurity,” Four shrugged. The light from the torch distorted his shadow into long relief on the wall behind him. “Can you feel it?”

Wild paused. Yes. A dull _thrum_ , a feeling of malevolence slowly filling his head. He walked aimlessly through the stacks, letting his hand drag over the lids to leave behind lines in the dust. Four trailed behind, followed closely by Twilight. They continued this way, spiraling slowly around until they came to the center of the room.

A mask rested gently on a shelf in the corner of this open space. It laid there innocuously, as though forgotten, but Wild could _feel_ that it was the source of the power, the cause of this dark energy. The thing resembled a heart, shaded in brilliant purples and reds, but the large, staring eyes gave it an unsettling feeling. They loomed in Wild’s mind, slowly growing larger until they engulfed his entire field of vision.

“Majora’s mask,” Four whispered. “But that wasn’t where _he_ left it.”

With great effort, Wild turned to look at Four. “You mean Time.”

“Yes…” Four said slowly, his eyes never leaving the Mask. Twilight was staring pointedly at the floor.

“Tell me what happened,” Wild whispered, but Four shook his head.

“He failed, Wild. Once he put the mask on, it’s… “ he tore his gaze away from the mask and covered his eyes with his hands. "The torch went out. He screamed. I scrambled for the light but all I could hear were these – these _noises_ , like something was _there_ with us. I could hear him crying out a name, _Malon,_ over and over. But when I got the torch lit, it was just the mask, lying there on the floor. And no one else has been here since, but there it is…” Four stared out into space. “In the shadows, I saw _it_ slithering away…”

“And Time?” Wild prompted gently. Four shook his head.

“Gone.”

“What do you mean, _gone?_ ” Twilight interjected. “Where? And you just expect Wild to go and do the same thing, after all that? Are you serious?”

Four shook his head as though waking from a dream. “Look, Wild. I made a mistake in choosing Time. I didn’t realize that he was that _divided_. About his wife. I found out later. He couldn’t handle the temptations of the mask. It was too much for him.” He looked at Wild pleadingly. “You _have_ to do it. The king knows about this place. This is our last chance. Please”

“Too much for him,” Wild repeated, gazing at the mask again. Those eyes found his again and drew him in. _And what makes you think_ you’re _any different?_ a voice in the back of his mind whispered softly.

“Wild…” Twilight started, but Wild shook his head. “No, you’re right, Four. I … I can do this.” He thought of Time, alone and despairing, desperate to bring back the love of his life. Trapped in this _thing_ , forever. Of Sky, dying. “I’ll do it,” he repeated to himself.

Twilight and Four remained huddled at the edges of the room as Wild walked forward. He gently reached out and picked up the mask. Time seemed to slow as he stared into its eternal gaze. What secrets were held there? To life, or to loss? He turned it over. A sense of panic settled into his stomach as he raised the mask to his face.

_You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, _maybe_ the MM quote is a bit superfluous, but hey. We're having fun here (except Wild, who is not having fun).
> 
> Your comments are _not_ superfluous and are always welcome!
> 
> A citation- the line re: Twi killing monsters with his face is from one of Jojo's comics, but I don't know it off hand.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went some dark places. Warnings for death and associated imagery (no explicit gore, though).

Wild hesitated opening his eyes, expecting to see the nameless horrors that Four had foretold. Instead, he found himself standing in the middle of a verdant green meadow. Tall grasses swayed peacefully back and forth as a breeze gently swept his hair back from his shoulders. He could hear the soft grumbling of cows from somewhere over the hill.

The wind carried the soothing sounds of singing to his ears. Wild followed, summoned by its gentle rise and fall. He floated unthinkingly up the hill and came to a barn, simple, though lovingly crafted. The singing continued from inside and he had just placed one hand on the door when a voice called from behind.

“Hey, kid! Nice of you to join us.”

Wild spun around to find himself face-to-face with a man he’d never met, yet knew like a close friend. Blond hair the color of straw framed his face, but Wild’s gaze was drawn to the red and blue marks on his forehead and cheek, to the distinctive scar across his eye.

“Time,” he breathed. “You’re alive- what are you doing here? Where –“

“Woah, woah,” Time interrupted with a laugh. “Calm down, Wild, there’s no rush.”

“But… Four said…“ Wild stuttered. This was not the lost, bitter man he’d come to know.

“Tell ya what, why don’t you come on in and I’ll explain?” Time threw an arm companionably around Wild’s shoulders and guided him towards the house. “Welcome to my farm. I’m sure you've heard the cows already. Malon’s out there milking them now.”

“ _Malon?!_ ” Wild started, but Time brushed him off and pulled open the door to the house. Wild hesitated, then followed him inside.

* * *

“A mask, huh?” Time said as he bustled around the kitchen. Wild sat uncomfortably at the wooden table, gaze darting rapidly around the room. Framed pictures of Time and Malon covered the walls. As newlyweds, Malon's red hair a startling contrast to the snow white of her dress. As a young couple, posing with their new cows. Nothing recent. _This isn’t right,_ he thought as Time walked carefully over to the table, balancing a glass of milk for each of them. Wild nodded his thanks but left it untouched as Time slid into a chair across from him.

“Time, what’s going on? How long have you been here?”

Time frowned. “I don’t know what you mean, kid. I’ve lived here most my life, ever since Malon and I got married.”

“But… you went to castle town after she…”

“After she _what_?” Time asked, gaze narrowing. Wild gulped. That _look_ was just as intimidating as Twilight had described.

He forced the words out anyway. “After she _died_ , Time. You came to Castle Town as Hateno’s ambassador looking for –“

“Now don’t get me wrong,” Time interrupted him, voice quiet but serious. “You seem like a good kid, but I don’t know what you think you’re doing coming in here making things up. I’d never give up the farm and go to _Castle_ _Town,_ of all places. The goddesses know the mayor’s tried to convince me to take up that damn post. And telling me Malon’s – what?” He shook his head and changed the subject. “Tell me more about _you_ , kid. What are _you_ doing here?”

Wild shifted uncomfortably under the intensity of Time’s stare. Haltingly, he told Time the story of Majora’s Mask. And Ganondorf. And the king. But he left out Twilight, and Four, and what had happened to Sky. He didn’t want to think about that right now.

Time nodded thoughtfully as Wild spoke. “Wow, that’s quite the story, kid.” He smiled as Wild started to protest. “No, no, I believe you. But there’s just one thing I don’t understand … Why are you doing this?”

“I … what?” Wild blinked.

Time shrugged. “Seems like a lot of risk. Why’re you going through all this for a kingdom that doesn’t care about you?”

Wild paused. “Because… it’s the right thing to _do_ , Time. I thought you – of all people – you’d understand.”

Time gazed thoughtfully at the pictures on the wall. “The right thing… What is it? If you do the right thing, will it really make everyone happy?”

Wild frowned. “I … I think so.” He said, thinking of Twilight. Good intentions. For the wrong reasons.

“And your friends,” Time mused, swirling the remnants of the milk in his cup. “What kind of people are they?”

“I – they’re good people, Time, you know that,” Wild mumbled. But Time shook his head languidly.

“I wonder if they think of you as a friend, too… Or just as a failure.” His eye flicked up to stare piercingly at Wild. “But you don’t have to be. You can be happy, too.”

“I- I don’t – “ Wild pushed his chair back so quickly it fell over. “No. They care about me. Sky even… he put my safety before his.” Wild gripped the table fiercely, leveling his own gaze to match Time's. “What’s going on here? The Time _I_ came to know, the Time _Twilight_ told me about, he chose the right thing. What _happened_ to you? What’s going on?”

Time stood, slowly, and Wild became increasingly aware that Time was a _lot_ bigger than he was. Perhaps unnaturally so – now his head was bent against the ceiling, now he was too big for the room –

“I chose _happiness_ , Wild, don’t you think I deserve that after everything I went through? Don’t _you_ deserve that, too?” His voice had fallen to a low rumble. The air around him wavered and for a moment, Wild saw a only a skeleton, a skull, sockets empty save for the left which held a piercing bolt of light.

Wild vaulted over the table and ran for the door, dodging a wide swing from Time. Outside, the skies had grown bleak and he could see the swirling clouds on the horizon that portend a storm. Raindrops began to darken the ground as he ran to the barn, where he could still hear that soft song. He threw his whole weight against the door, and it opened just enough for him to slip inside.

Wild squinted ahead into the darkness of the barn. The music grew louder the closer he got to the other end, and he could just make out a figure sitting before him, back turned. “Malon… is that you?” he called. He could see that distinctive red hair – it had to be.

“Malon,” he repeated softly as he stood over her. The singing was unceasing, as though she hadn’t even noticed him. Fear knotted Wild’s stomach; he didn’t want to do this, but he had to know, had to understand. “Malon, I’m sorry,” he whispered as he placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her towards him.

She had no face. Just the rotted remnants of a skull, teeth bared in a frightful grin. The singing emanated from deep within, though there were no lips to shape it. Wild gasped and stumbled backward. _Now_ he could see the stringy hair, the rotted dress, the dirt staining its hem. He thought he might throw up when someone walked up next to him.

“Terrible, isn’t it?” a young voice said, and Wild saw that it was a young boy, no more than ten. He wore a crisp green tunic and matching hat, and his hair was the same light blond as Time’s. Wild winced.

“Are you their son?”

The child laughed, bright and clear. “Not at all. I’m Time.”

Wild gaped openly. “I don’t understand. I don’t understand any of this. So that wasn’t him before? What _is_ this place?” He fought to keep from panicking.

“Let me say this. I’m Time’s past,” the child said solemnly. “What you saw is Time as he is now, corrupted. Majora’s Mask gave him what he wanted, but some things… can't change.”

They both looked sadly at Malon before them, still singing. Would forever sing in some twisted mockery of life.

“Our life wasn’t easy, but Malon saved us. When she died… He… I… we weren’t the same. I wish you could have known me before, Wild. We still believed in courage. In wisdom. In the power of doing the right thing.”

“I think you still do,” Wild said. He stood, graciously taking the hand offered by Time. “At least you had Twilight convinced."

“I can still stop this.” He looked down at young Time next to him, who nodded fiercely.

“You can.”

* * *

Wild raced out of the barn into what had turned into a raging thunderstorm, leaving Malon behind to her fate. He made a silent prayer to the Goddesses; this would be over soon, whatever it took. He ran with young Time back to the house and they cautiously ducked inside, scanning the kitchen for any signs of life. Time had vanished.

Young Time gestured at him and they crept silently to the cellar door. “If there’s anywhere to look for secrets, it’s always lowest, darkest place you can find!” he said with a grin, and Wild felt a pang of sadness. Time, before all that life had left him was cynicism and bitterness. Still with a zest for life and adventure.

Contrary to his expectations, the basement was well lit and clean. In fact, a little _too_ well-lit, he thought; the torches blazed with unnatural light and heat. They descended endless stairs past eternal flames, down and down and down, until finally they came to a smooth floor. And there, before them, sat Majora’s Mask.

Only this time it had a body of its own, lithe with of muscles devoid of skin that pulsed with every movement. The face remained the same, however; those same bulging eyes that saw past every excuse and every lie to truth.

“Hello, child,” Majora purred. It didn’t speak; the voice resonated directly in his head, with an uneven palpitation like a damaged heartbeat. “What is your desire?”

“I … “ Wild stuttered aloud. Young Time nodded encouragingly next to him. “I’m here to end this.”

“ _End_ this?” Majora laughed. The voice became shrill and sharp in his mind. “What is there to _end_ , when there are endless _beginnings?_ When I can give you whatever your heart desires? Wild,” it said, “You _know_ I can bring her back. Even more, I can make it so that it _never happened._ ” The mask floated into the air towards him, limbs dragging behind it. Wild twitched back but held his ground. “I can give you your _memories_ back, Wild. Don’t you want to be the person you were before?”

Wild glanced at young Time next to him, who glared fiercely at Majora. Was _he_ ever that young? Or had a lifetime of battle training thrashed the spirit out of him? Had Wild ever been anything more than a warm body meant to die for the kingdom?

This is it, he thought. Out of tragedy, there comes a second chance. “No,” he said, and meant it. Majora’s Mask convulsed at his sentence.

“Fine,” it hissed malevolently, and any amount of pleasantry was gone. Wild and Time backed away as the walls began to grow blue and expand. Majora’s Mask stood before them, resplendent in their glow. It laughed, a high pitched cackle as its arms elongated into long whips of muscle. Wild yelped as one of them lashed unexpectedly in his direction. He barely managed to duck as it cracked the wall behind him, pelting him with chips of stone.

“Time! What the hell do we do? We’re unarmed!” Wild called as he dodged another. “I don’t know!” Time shouted back as he did the same. The continued in this way for several minutes, panting and sweating in the burning glow of Majora’s throne room. _It’s toying with us_ , Wild thought. _It won't be too much longer before we’re exhausted and make a mistake._

“I have an idea!” Young Time shouted. “But you’re not gonna like it!” He gave Wild a thumbs up as he ran straight at Majora and stopped, arms at his side. The long limbs of Majora encircled him eagerly, like a snake that had finally captured its prey. “Good luck, Wild!” Time called, laughing as he was carried away into the air. “Tell me I say hi-“

“Time! No!” Wild screamed, but it was too late. He couldn’t look away as Majora surged in opposite directions, and Time – Time was – gone.

Wild laughed deliriously and fell to his knees. What was he even thinking, doing this? Who did he think he was to challenge an actual deity? A _god?_ He’d already failed long before this.

No. He shook his head. No, he was here, and he’d go out fighting, Hylia damn it. Wild readied himself, but was surprised when a hand fell lightly on his shoulder.

“Hey, kid.” The elder Time stood next to him. Instead of disheveled and corrupted, he stood proud and tall, cast in golden armor that outshone the torches around him. Resting in his hand was the biggest sword that Wild had ever seen.

"Time," Wild breathed. He glanced to where Time's younger body lay lifeless. 

Time shrugged and handed him a sword of his own. “Sometimes, you have to let the past die,” he said quietly, “in order to move forward. Are you ready?” Wild nodded.

“Great. Let’s do this, kid.”

Together they charged Majora’s Mask.

* * *

It went more quickly than Wild had expected. Easier, too. Time fought as though he’d been born for this, and well, maybe he had. Wild, too, found that he moved with the grace and skill he’d had before the incident.Like he’d never lost that part of himself.

They circled the Mask in unison, dodging unpredictable tentacles that only seemed to grow in number, landing blow after blow until the Mask let out a horrid, rending screech that brought them both to their knees, clutching at their ears. Majora erupted in flames before them, seeming to melt and re-form until the fires abruptly vanished, the scream alongside them. The mask fell lifeless before them, made of ordinary wood. The evil had been consumed.

Both Wild and Time remained frozen, as though they couldn’t quite believe their luck. Was this another trick? Was Majora just waiting for them to lower their guard before striking a fatal blow? Finally, Time got to his feet and strode authoritatively towards the remains. “Can’t stay here all day,” he grumbled.

The mask shone a brilliant blue as his hand touched it. Time backed off warily to stand beside Wild, who had his sword at the ready. But the blue glow slowly transformed into something more solid until Wild could recognize it for what it was – a doorway. He could see the fuzzy outlines of Four and Twilight on the other side, arguing, and suppressed a laugh.

“That’ll take us home,” Wild said. “Let’s go!” But Time held back.

“So… None of this was real,” he said thoughtfully, glancing at the stairs. The world around them was starting to disintegrate; low rumbles shook the cavern and dust fell from above. Still, Time remained.

“There’s nothing left for me out there, Wild,” he said, gesturing at the shimmering door. “Maybe it’s… best if I stay here and face what I've lost. It's too late for me to start over."

Wild returned to Time’s side. They both stood quietly for a moment, heedless of the room slowly falling apart around them. “You can always start over, Time.” he said finally. “Besides, you’re not alone. You have me. And Twilight is waiting for you to come back.”

“Twi-?” Time choked. “The pup? But… Wild, I was so _selfish_ , I knew it was wrong... but I _still_ chose my own happiness over him. He needed my help and I chose this darkness just... left him there.” Time paused. “Do you think he’d even forgive me?”

“Yes, I do. I think you’ll find he’s just as familiar with selfishness as you are, Time.” Wild smiled and took Time’s hand gently in his own. “Are you ready?”

Time took one last glance up above. Towards where his dark paradise remained, to the shadow of his wife; an unholy imitation of life that his heart still called to. He nodded. “Yeah, kid, I am.” They stepped into the portal, together. Behind them, the last echos of a malevolent god crumbled into nothingness.

* * *

Without warning Wild was _there_ as suddenly as he’d found himself in Majora’s world. Twilight and Four both jumped and broke off their argument in shock, staring in surprise. “Wild! What the hell- you just _vanished_!” Twilight shouted, concern masked as anger. “You just _disappeared_ and left us here and what even –“ He broke off when he saw who stood behind Wild. “Time…?”

“Hey, pup,” Time said nonchalantly, but Wild could see the nervousness in his eye. “I’m sorry. I know I screwed up –“ His words were cut off as Twilight caught him up suddenly in an embrace.

“I don’t _care_ , Old Man,” Twilight cried, hugging Time tighter. “I _knew_ when you showed up and gave me those damn books of yours and told me you were leaving, I _knew_ it would be the last time I saw you, but I didn’t say anything, and I never thought – I never thought I’d see you again,” he sobbed openly. Time patted his head gently as he fought back his own tears.

Wild smiled and looked away awkwardly. He was thrilled for their reunion, but this wasn’t for him. Wasn't his to see. But he let out an _oof_ as he was suddenly pulled in by Time and Twilight.

“Thank you, Wild, _thank you_ , “ Twilight sniffed. “I’m so glad _you’re_ okay, and I know I lied to you and it’s okay if you don’t want to have anything to do with me, but I’m so glad you made it out –“

“No, Twilight, it’s okay,” Wild smiled. “I forgive you.” He looked up and caught Time’s eye, who smiled through his tears.

“You saved me, Wild,” Time said. “You reminded me that there’s more to life than holding on to the past. I… thank you.”

Wild looked over to see Four, standing alone quietly alone. He nodded when Wild caught his eye. “Good job, Wild. You did it,” he said with a small smile. “You saved the kingdom from a reign of eternal hell. For that, we are grateful.” With that, Four vanished quietly into the darkness.

Wild sighed. It was over. He’d won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much of what Time says (and the sequence from the field) comes from Majora's Mask. I thought the questions that the creepy children pose to you raised interesting questions in the context of the game - why _are_ you doing this? Is that not the question behind most Zelda games, that Link has little agency and just goes off and saves the world because it's the _right thing to do_ , nothing needed beyond that? Is that not part of his role, as the hero?
> 
> Anyway... One more chapter left after this to wrap everything up, I think. As always, your comments are welcomed. Thanks!


	11. Epilogue

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"... No." 

"You know you have to do this, Twi."

"I know, Wild. Can you just give me a little time? Please?"

"Sure." Wild tried his best not to be frustrated; he knew this wasn't easy. Instead he walked back to stand by Time.

Twilight stood before a grand mirror, carved with intricate patterns that made Wild dizzy trying to trace them. The lines on the frame glowed faintly with white light, but the surface remained black and dead. "It's closed from the other side," Four had explained when Wild asked what that meant. "The mirror of Twilight is a gateway between their world and ours. 'Midna' must have broken it from the other side, to try to protect your wolf friend. But our side was intact, still allowing the Twilight world to pull his soul into theirs."

"How do you know all of this?" Wild asked, bemused.

Four shrugged. "You could say I'm something of an expert on evil mirrors. Besides, I wouldn't be much of a spymaster if I didn't know a little bit of everything."

One thing was certain; Twilight had created the connection, and he had to be the one to break it. Which Wild found endlessly frustrating.

He told Time this.

"Not everyone is as decisive as you, kid," Time said, stoic as always. He'd quickly become a mentor to Wild, just as he was to Twilight.

"I know, but... Hyrule and Legend are waiting," Wild fidgeted.

"They can wait a little longer." Time said simply, but Wild could see the tension in his neck. He didn't like being this close to a magical artifact this powerful, either.

They'd emerged from the depths of the castle to a changed world. Wild was stunned to learn that the king had abdicated and vanished, bowing to the protesting masses from the other kingdoms that had demanded their independence. Four, however, had intimated to Wild that it was the loss of the mask that had precipitated this; had things gone as planned, he could have kept Hyrule together by force.

They found Sky, who was amazingly, miraculously alive and mostly recovered. He’d been shocked to see Time, and Wild had to remind himself that not everyone had spent the last few months of their life deeply engaged in the mystery of his disappearance.

They quickly told the whole story to Sky, including Twilight’s curse, though they left out Four’s mysterious abilities. (“Some things are better kept secret,” Four had said in a tone that wasn’t quite a threat). Sky was quiet for a few moments after they’d finished. “I wish you’d told me,” he finally said, looking at Wild thoughtfully. “I could have helped. You should not have had to go through all that.

"Most of all, I’m deeply sorry you were accused of harming me, when I know you saved my life. When I woke up, I ordered that you be freed, but, as it turns out, you’d already escaped by then.” They all laughed. “Wild, you are of course free to do as you wish. But I’m sending Legend and Hyrule as emissaries to the other kingdoms to help ease their transition to independence and establish better relations. Legend has requested you join them - it seems he feels bad about throwing you in prison, and Hyrule convinced him this was a good way to make it up to you.” Sky winked.

“Who – me? I – I’m honored,” Wild sputtered. “But what about –“ he gestured at Time and Twilight next to him.

“They are welcome to join you. But first,” Sky turned to Twilight, who paled now that he had to speak to a royal. “I hear there’s something I can help _you_ with.”

“There is…” Twilight started, and that was how they found themselves here, in the depths of the castle once more, watching as Twilight struggled to destroy his only connection to someone he’d loved. Wild mind wandered to his own life; if she wasn’t dead, could he do the same? And to be honest, he’d had that option; he glanced at Time, who was undoubtedly thinking the same thing. Except that Time had actually done it; he’d chosen a _future_ over clinging to the now-dead past. But hadn’t he, Wild, made that choice as well when he’d rejected the mellifluous words of Majora’s Mask? He could have found himself in a perfect world with _her;_ no monsters to defeat, no kingdoms to defend, just the two of them, together. And perhaps the love that had never had time to develop between them could bloom at last.

Except it would have been like a sweet, rotting fruit: soft and unblemished on the surface, fouled on the inside. He’d seen the shadow that Time’s life had been reduced to. Yet here he was, still wondering if he should have taken that chance to see her face one last time. But that was the nature of evil, right? Once you’d tasted its false offerings, the flavor would forever linger on your tongue.

“Wild? I’m ready,” Twilight’s voice interrupted his thoughts and for that, Wild was grateful. No, he couldn’t blame Twilight for hesitating; for wishing there was a way to see the one he loved one last time. Or even just have closure; to _know_ for certain if she was alive or dead, not spend the rest of your life wondering -

“Wild?” Twilight said again, gently. “The hammer, please?”

“Right! Absolutely. Sorry, Twi,” Wild handed Twilight the great hammer that Four had dug out of the castle reserves. Apparently he’d used it to destroy a dark mirror of his own, long ago casting his shadows to light.

“Thanks.” Twilight took the hammer and went to his place before the mirror. Then, without warning or pause, he raised it above his head and swung. The hammer came down with a resounding crash, breaking the mirror into infinite shards that scattered across the room. The darkness on the other side slowly lightened to show nothing but their own world.

“Turns out you don’t hesitate once you’ve made up your mind,” Time said as he came forward to stand beside Twilight and rest a hand on his shoulder. “Good work, pup.” Wild joined them and the three stood together in silence. The shattered glass around them twisted their faces, joining their reflections together in new patterns.

As one, they headed back up the stairs to where their new life awaited.

* * *

Bonus:

“So you turned into a _dog_? You realize how fucking _weird_ that is, right?”

“Shut up, Legend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnnd it's over! There was plenty of stuff I wanted to include that didn't quite fit. Also, in my magical world the other kingdoms can split with minimal repercussions...
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed reading this; I've certainly had fun writing it! As always, your feedback is welcomed.


End file.
